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Glass. 
Book. 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 



2- 

"a 



The COTTAGE 
COOK BOOK 



A Manual of Useful Information on 
all Subjects Relating to 

Cookery, Domestic Economy 

Hygiene, Etiquette and 

Family Medicines 



AN EVERY DAY GUIDE FOR THE HOUSEKEEPER 
AND MOTHER 

By 

MRS. REGINALD BEETON 

Chief of the Salem Institute of Domestic Economj 
and 

ASA L. JAMES, M.D., Ph. G. 

Instructor* in- Bridgewater Medical College 



THOMPSON & THOMAS 

267 Wabash Avenue 

Chicago 






I 10 1901 

; ,, a. 8/M3 

Delivered to 

ORDER DIVISION 

FEB 8 1901 



«j=3fe=i+ 



COPYRIGHTED, 190tt 

ROBERT W. PATTON 



' ' « — iZJIgzF^ 






1 3ST 3D EJ s?. 



Etiquette. 

.Amusements, places of 18 

At church , 2o 

DSad practices .. 77 

Breath, the 70 

Bridal breakfast 51 

Bridal ceremony 51 

Bridal dress 52 

Bridal etiquette 50 

Bridal gifts 50 

Bridesmaids.... 51 

•Church at SO 

Correspondence 40 

Courtship ; 47 

Dinners, dressing for hotel 34 



Dressing foe hotel dinners 34 

Etiquette 17' 

Etiquette and dress after marriage .... 53 

Etiquette, outdoor T 

Evening parties 55 

Feet, the 64 

Gentlemen, obligations to -28 

Gifts, bridal ..„ 50 

Hair, the 73 

Hotel dinners, dressing for 34 

Lips, the 71 

aiarriage, etiquette and dress after. .. 5S 

Mouth, the 70 

Obligations to gentlemen 29 

Outdoor etiquette.... 17 

Parties, evening 55 

Places of amusement 18 

Presents 31 

Teeth, the , 67 

Toilette the 63 

Visited, the 24 

Visiting , . 21 

Visitors 86 

Mmisohold. 

AJmondcake 206 

Ants, to get rid of 230, 222 

Apples (dried) pies 195 

Apple dumpling 198 

Apple pies 195 

Artichokes 183 

Asparagus 180 

Atmosphere, to test purity of 209 

Bacon, to fry or boil 161 

Bas&, striped 119 

Beans am' corn, succotash 180 

Beans an - pork 163 

Beans, green 180 

Beans, Lima .181 

Beans, shelled ..183 



Beans, string lj$8 

Bedbugs, cure for 221 

Beef .- 130,145 

Beef and onion stew 133 

Beef, bouilli 133 

Beef, corned 134 

Beef, hashed 137 

Beef heart 137 

Beef, remain! of roast 145 

Beef, soup with vegetables 108 

Beef, spiced 144 

Beefsteaks igg 

Beefsteaks, fried 133 . 

Beef, to boll pickled 144 

Beef, to choose 135 

Beef tongue , 135 

Beef, to roast.. 139 

Beef, to stew 135 

Beef, to stew a round ,.,.... lag 

Beetles, to kill -. 219 

Beets 178 

Berry pie — -. 197 

Beverages and condiments 100 

Birds 148 

Birds^to pot ..152 

Biscuit, milk 191 

Biscuit or bread cake. 189 

Black bean soup 112 

Black fish stewed \\% 

Black fish, to fry us 

Bluing a2i 

Board, cleaning 210 

Boiled meats and stews 132 

Boiled or roast chickens 148 

Boiling meats 145 

Brains, to make a dish of calf's 141 

Brass, to clean 212 

Bread 185 

Bread, brown 188 

Bread, cake or biscuit 189 

Bread, corn '. . . . 188 

Bread, graham 185 

Bread-making and flour 184 

Bread, rye 189 

Bread, to make twist 188 

Bread, wheat and Indian 188 

Breakfast, for 87 

Bride cake, rich. 205 

Brittania metal, to clean 219 

Bronze, to clean 213 

Buns, common 191 

Cabbage .» » ...174 

Cabbage jelly 182 

Cabbage, to prepare the .165 

Cake, icing for 205 

Cake, Indian griddle 189 

Cake, Johnny 189 

Cake, loaf ..203 

Cake, morasses cup 202 

Cake, plum..... 204 

Cake, pound 202 



index: 



Cake, rich bride 205 

Cake, soft gingerbread 202 

Cake, spice 202 

Cake, sponge , 203 

Cake, to ice or frost 205 

Cake, wedding 204 

Cake, wine 202 

Cakes , 202 

Cakes, almond. . . „ 206 

Cakes, common cup 203 

Cakes, ctirrrant short 206 

Cakes, drop 204 

Cakes, flannel. „ 193 

Cp.kes, French tea 204 

Cakes, griddle Buckwheat 190 

Cakes, griddle Indian 189 

Calf's brains, to make a dish of 141 

Calf's h-ad 140,141 

Calf's head-cheeee 141 

Calf 's head soup Ill 

Candlesticks, to clean 217 

Canning and preserving 207 

Canning, general rules for 208 

Carpets , how to clean 210 

Carpets^ to remove grease from 210 

Carpets, to remove ink from 210 

Carrots 176 

Carrots, old or winter , 181 

Carrot pudding. 200 

Carving 90 

Cauliflower 174 

Cauliflower, boiled 182 

Cement for glass 220 

Cheese, calf's head. 141 

Cherry pie 197 

Chicken, escalloped , 153 

Chicken, fricassee 153 

Chicken jelly 154 

Chicken pie ....153 

Chicken pieandi5.ee 153 

Chickens, jellied 150 

Chickens, prairie 151 

Chickens, roast or boiled 148 

Chicken, stuffing for 151 

Chicken, to boil. , 151 

Chocolate ,..-...105 

Chops, veal 142 

Chowder... 122 

Clam chowder 125 

Clams, fried hard shell 125 

Clams, hardshell 124 

Clams, stewed 124 

Clams, to boil 124 

Clams, to boil soft shell 124 

Clams, to fry soft shell 124 

Cloths, to clean floor.. 211 

Cocoanut pie 197 

Cod, baked 117 

Cod, cold boiled 116 

Codfish cakes 116 

Codfish, dried 115 

Codfish steaks fried.... 116 

Cod, fresh 116 

Cod, fresh, to boil 116 

Cod, stewed salt 115 

Coffee, cream and milk for J01 

Coffee, good New England 104 

Coffee, V ienn a 104 

Cold Blaw.. = 182 

Cookies 206 

Cookies, soft 206 

Condiments and beverages 100 

Copper, to clean 216 

Corned beef 134 

Corn beef, to boil salted or 164 

Corn, greeu 181, 183 



Corn green, fritters 183 

Corn oysters 181 

Corn pudding 183 

Corn soup Ill 

Crabo, to boil 123 

Crabs, to choose 123 

Cream and milk for coffee 104 

Crickets, to kill .-.219 

Crullers and doughnuts 192 

Crust, plain pie 194 

Crust, tart.... 194 

Currant short cake 206 

Curtains, to clean 216 

Custard pie 197 

IMning room, the . . : 81 

Dinner table, the..., 89 

Doughnuts 192 

Doughnuts, to fry and crullers 192 

Duck, canvass-back 157 

Duck, roast 148 

Duck, to choose 156 

Dumpling, apple 198 

Dyeing 222 

Dyeing, black 222, 225 

Dyeing, blue on cotton or linen 225 

Dyeing, blue, quick process 223 

Dyeing, chrome blackf or woolen goods.222 

Dyeing, crimson 226 

Dyeing, dark colors - 224 

Dyeing, green 223, 225 

Dyeing, green, on wool or silk 223 

Dyeing, green, with oak bark 226 

Dyeing, madder red. 223 

Dyeing, orange 224 

Dyeing, pink 224 

Dyeing purple 224 

Dyeing, red 225 

Dyeing, scarlet with cochineal 224 

Dyeing, silver drnb 224 

Dyeing, snuff brown, dark. 223 

Dyeing, stocking yarn or wool 223 

Dyeing, wine color ...223 

Dyeing, yellow 225 

Eels ' 120 

Eels, fried 121 

Eggplant 182 

Eggs and ham fried ...163 

Eggsandham omelet 169 

Eggs baked 169 

Egg omelet 169 

Eggs poached — 170 

Eggs sur le Plat 170 

Eggs, to boil 169 

Eggs, to choose 168 

English breakfast or Oolong tea .105 

Fish 113 

Fish, baked cod 117 

Fish, black, stewed .118 

Fish, black to fry 118 

Fish, cold boiled cod 116 

Fish, dried cod 115 

Fish, fresh cod 116 

Fish, fresh cod to boil 116 

Fish, shell 122 

Fish, stewed fresh cod 115 

Fish, stewed salt cod H 5 

Fish, to broil Hf 

Fish, to fry or broil properly 114 

Flannel cakes. 19" 

Flannel, colored, to wash 220 

Flannel, to wash without shrinking 220 

Flies.... 219 

Flour and bread making 184 

French polish 215 

Furniture polishes 214,215 



" 






INDEX. 



Game and poultry . 146 

Gilt, to clean 213 

Gilding, to clean 219 

Gingerbread soft, molasses 202 

Gingerbread without eggs 202 

Ginger padding 200 

Glass, to clean 211 

Good New England coffee 104 

Goose, roast ■ 154 

Goose, to choose 154 

Graham bread 186 

Grease spots, to remove 209 

Green peas 179 

Greens and sprouts 178 

Griddle cakes, buckwheat 190 

Griddle cakes, buckwheat, to bake 191 

Griddle cakes, Indian 189 

Guest, duties of 99 

Haddock 117 

Halibut 119 

Halibut, to boil 119 

Ham and eggs, fried 162 

Ham boiled 159 

Ham fried, and poached eggs 162 

Ham, glazed. 146 

Ham gravy . 162 

Ham omelet 169 

Ham, to bake * 146 

Ham, to boil 160 

Ham, to broil 162 

Ham, to fry -.162 

Hashed beef 13" 

Heart, beef, baked or roa&ted 13' 

Herrings 122 

Host, duties of 97 

Household 81 

Ice cream and ices, freezing 207 

Ice cream of cream 207 

Ice cream with eggs 207 

Iced tea ,105 

Icing for cakes, to make 205 

Indian muffins 192 

Ink, to remove 220 

Iron, to clean 213, 217 

Japanned waiters to clean 213 

Jelly, cabbage 182 

Itidneys, beef 137 

Kitchen, the 81 

Knives and forks, to clean 219 

lacquered brass, to clean. . .216 

Lamb, boiled 13; 

Lamb, quarter, roasted 166 

Lamb, quarter, (so prepare for broiling.166 

Lamb, stewed with peas 166 

Lamb, to broil a breast of 165 

Lamb, to choose, 165 

Leg oi pork, to boil 161 

Lemon, pie 196 

Lima beans. , 181 

Liver, beef 136 

Lobster salad 123 

Lobsters, to choose 122 

Lobsters, to boil 123 

Loin, to roast 159 

Looking glasses to clean 207 

IVCacaroni 173 

Mackerel, dried ".121 

Mackerel, fresh 121 

Mackerel, salt or dressed 121 

Matting, to clean 211 

Mahogany, to clean 215 

Marble, to clean 212 

Marrow pudding . -.200 



Meats 131 

Meats, boiling 145 

Meats, boiled and stewed 332 

Mice to drive away 222 

Mildew, to remove. „221 

Milk and cream for coffee 104 

Mince pie 195 

Mint vinegar 131 

Miscellaneous recipes .'. . .209 

Mock turtle eonp, perfect 108 

Molasses cup cakes 202 

Muffins....: 191 

Muffins, Indian meal 190 

Muffins, rice 192 

Mutton..., 132 

Mutton, boiled 135 

Mutton, breast of to broil .168 

Mutton chop fried '. 168 

Mutton, haunch of 167 

Mutton, leg of boiled 168 

Muttonj observations on 167 

Mutton, shoulder of. 168 

!New England coffee 104 

Omelet, egg 169 

Omelet, hain jo» 

Onion and beef stew 138 

Onions .182 

Oolong tea.... 105 

Orange pie 197 

Oyster fritters. . 125 

Oyster patties 128 

Oyster plant 175 

Oyster pie . . 127 

Oysters 126 

Oysters and chicken croquettes 128 

Oysters broiled j ...12f 

Oysters broiled on the shell 12? 

Oysters fricasseed 127 

Oysters fried ,...126 

Oysters griddled 126 

Oysters, mock or fried saleify 175 

Oysters, panned 126 

Oysters, pickled 128 

Osyters, scalloped 128 

Oyster soup 112,113 

Oysters, to fry with batter 127 

Oysters, to stew 126 

I*aint, to clean 209 

Paint, to remove from wood 813 

Paint spots , 231 

Pancakes 193 

Pancakes, rice 193 

Parlor, the 85 

Parsnip stew 165 

Partridges and quail 151 

Pastry 194 , 

Peas, green 179 

Pea soup .112 

Pepper, vinegar 130 

Perch 119 

Pie crust 194 

Pie, cherry and berry 197 

Pie, cocoanut 197 

Pie, custard 197 

Pie, dried-apple , 195 

Pie, grandmother's apple . ; 195 

Pie, lemon.. 196 

Pie, mince, rich 195 

Pie, orange 197 

Pie, pie-plant 197 

Pie, pumpkin 197 

Pie, rich mince 195 

Pie, squash or pumpkin ... .196 

Pie, strawberry ...197 



INDEX. 



pie, sweet potato 196 

pies 194 

pickled beef, to boil. 144 

pigeons, to cook. 152 

pig's cheek , .........161 

pig's feet soused 160 

pig, to bake 159 

pig, to roast .• 158 

pike or Pickerel 122 

plate, to clean....... 217 

plum cake ; — 204 

plum pudding, any day ...199 

plum pudding, English 199 

Poundcake 203 

Pork 132,158 

Pork and beans 163 

pork chops, steaks and cutlets 161 

pork, salt, to fry or broil •■■, 161 

Pork sausages ..158 

Pork, sparerib 158 

Pork, tenderloin 159 

Pork, to boil leg of .161 

Pork, to broil .. >. 161 

Potato puffs 175 

Potatoes.. 171 

Potatoes, browned 172 

Potatoes,' cream 172 

Potatoes, creaming ,175 

Potatoes, fried 175 

Potatoes, fritters 176 

Potatoes, hashed 177 

Potatoes, mashed i 176 

Potatoes, Saratoga 175 

Potato, snow 172 

Potatoes, sweet , 177 

Potatoes, sweet, roasted 177 

Potatoes, sweet, to bake 177 

Potatoes, sweet, to boil 177 

Pots, cans and kettles, to clean.,. 217 

Poultry 132 

Poultry and game . . 146 

Poultry, dressing for .» . 147 

Poultry, to clean ... 146 

Preserving and canning. 207 

Puddings ..198 

Pudding batter, boiled or baked 199 

Pudding, carrot 201 

Pudding, cheap apple 200 

Pudding, cottage .....201 

Pudding, carrot. , 200 

Pudding, ginger 200 

Pudding, marrow 201 

Pudding, plum, any day 199 

Pudding! plum, English 199 

Pudding, rice 200 

Pudding, steamed graham bread 201 

Pudding, tapioca 199 

Pudding, whortleberry 201 

Pumpkin pie- .197 

Quail „ 191 

Q,uailon toast 152 

Hecipes ...108 

Eemarks 87 

Kice 172 

Eice and chicken pie 133 

Rice pancakes 193 

Kice puddings 200 

Jtcound oi beef, to Btew , 136 

Eoux, to make a „ .129 

Rusk. tea. . . , -, 191 

Rust,' to remove ..211 

Ruta baga 178 

Rye bread 189 

Salads 193 

Salads and sauces. 129 

Salad, chicken 193 



Salads, dressing for .194 

Salmon '..119 

Salmon, boiled , .....luo 

Salmon, broiled 120 

Salmon, salt 120 

Salmon, spiced 120 

Salsify fried, or mock oysters. 175 

Sauce, bread ..129 

Sauce, celery 129 

Sauce, Chili 130 

Sauce, cranberry .130 

Sauce, Dutch 131 

Sauce, egg 130 

Sauce, horseradish 131 

Sauce, mint 130 

Sauce, mushroom 131 

Sauce, oyster 130 

Sauces and salads .129 

Sauces, to serve with roast pork 159 

Sauce, tomato 130 

Sauce, white 131 

Sausage meat 158 

Seasoning 105 

Scorches, to remove 221 

Shad. 117 

Shad, baked 118 

Shad, broiled 117 

Shad, fried...... ..117 

Shellfish 122 

Silk dresses, to clean 221 

Silver, to take stains out of 218 

Soups ..108 

Soup, beef, with vegetables 108 

Soup, black bean ... 112 

Soup, calf 's bead. Ill 

Soup, corn Ill 

Soup, oyster 112 

Soup, pea 112 

Soup, perfect mock turtle ... 108- 

Sou p, summer or winter corn; . . . , Ill 

So up, tomato 112 

Soup, to season the 110 

Soup, turkey. Ill 

Soyer's cafe au lalt 104 

Spinach 

Spongecakes ,...203 

Sprouts and greerfs 178 

Squash pie .19d 

Squash, summer .178 

Squash, winter 178 

Stains, grass, to remove 220 

Stains, iron rust, to remove 220 

Stair rods, to clean 217 

Starch 220 

Steaks, beef 153 

Steaks, fried. 138 

Steel, to clean , 213, 217 

Stock and seasoning — 105 

Strawberry pie... 197 

Straw matting, to clean 211 

Succotash 164 

Summer and winter corn soup..... ...Ill 

Sweet breads, broiled 171 

Sweet breads, roasted 171 

Sweet breads, stewed 170 

Sweet breads, veal - 170 

Sweet potato pie or pudding 196 

Tables, to polish ■. 214 

Tapioca pudding. , , 199 

Tart crust 194 

Tea 105 

Tea, English breakf astor Oolong. 105 

Tea, iced 1°6 

Tea rusk 191 

Tenderloin, pork. • • • "159 

Tins, to clean ...216 

Tomato soup > 112 



INDEX 



Fever, typhoid 

Fish 

Fish, shell 

Fits. 



Flooding, powder for excessive 

Fomentations 

Food, farinaceous 

Fowls, game, etc , 

Fractures 

Fractures, comminuted 

Fractures, compound 332, 

Fractures, compound comminuted 

Fracture of the armbones 

Fracture, bone of the nose 

Fracture, fingers and hands 

Fracture, knee-cap 

Fracture, leg 

Fracture, thigh 

Fracture, simple 



Freckle, cure 
Fresh air 



Fruits, vegetables, etc 

Game poultry, etc 

Ganglion 

General diet 

Goiture..- 

Gonorrhoea, cure for , 

Good Samaritan liniment 

Gout , 340, 

Gravel 

Gravel, imperial drops for 

Great Loudon liniment 

Green Mountain salve 

Green ointment 

Gunpowder burns 

Gunshot wounds 



Haemoptymis 

Hemorrhage, arterial 

Hemorrhage from the bladder 

Hemorrhage from wounds 

Hemorrhage, uterine 

Hemorrhage venous 

Hemorrhoids 

Hands, chapped , 

Hair dyes 

Hair invigorator 

Hair restorer 

Headache 

Headache, sick, charcoal cure for 

Heart, rheumatic affection of the 

Hip joint, dislocation of the 

Hot bath 

Hot air bath 

Hydropathy 

Hydrophobia 

Hodrophobia, cure for 

Hysteria 

Zee 

Imperial drops for kidney complaint 

Incontinance of urine 

Indigestion , 

Indian eye water 

Indian liniment, Barrel's , 

Infantile remittent fever 

Infant, management of the new-born 

Infant, to give medicine to 

Infant's syTup 

Inflammation 

Inflammation of the bladder 

Inflammation of the bowels 

Inflammation of the brain 

Inflammation of the breast 

Inflammation of the chest 

Inflammation of the cornea , 



371 [Inflammation of the ear 331 

,416'Inflammation of the eye 322 

416 Inflammation of the iris 324 

316'lnflammation of the mouth 351 

390, Inflammatory rheumatism 393 

283 Injection for leucorrhea 390 

415!lnsecte, stinging of 365 

4l6jlntestinal or enteric fever 371 

.332! Intestinal worms 384 

333|Iris, inflammation of the 324 

339jlrritants„ counter 285 

333 Irritation of the brain 319 

334 Isinglass plaster 382 

"Itch 351 

Itch ointment 393 

Jaundice, Dr. Peabody's cure 393 

Jaw, dislocation of the 325 

Judkin's oiniment 393 

KLidney complaint, imperial drops for 388 

Kidneys, Bright's disease of the- 304 

Kidneys, degeneration of the 304 

King of oils, for neuralgia and rhuema- 

tism 395 

I^abor 287 

Leech bites 383 

Leucorrhea, injection for 390 

Light 281 

Liniment, Barrel's Indian , 288 

Liniment, electro-magnetic 392 

Liniment, for old sores 392 

Liniment, Good Samaritan 392 

Liniment, great London 392 

Liniment, nerve and bone 391 

Liquid, blistering 284, 285 

Liquor, malt 417 

Liver, congestion of the 296 

Lotions 282 

Lotions, sedative 282 

Lozenges, worm 385 

Lungs, bleeding from the 300 

Lying-in room 287 

Lying-in woman, treatment of 289 

Malt liquors 417 

Management of the new-born infant. ..288 

Management of the sick room 281 

Mattico and tincture of 384 

Mead's salt-rheum ointment 393 

Measel's 352 



339 
336 

337 
336 
336 
332 

387 
281 
416 

416 
339 
415 
340 
388 
392 
411 
342 



.392 
.391 
.393 
.306 
.380 

.300 
.381 
.342 
.381 
.390 
.382 
..343 
.307 
.386 
.387 
.387 
.343 
.391 
.359 
.326 
.407 
.407 
.408 
.327 
.394 
.345 

.283 
.388 
.345 
.346 
.395 
.388 
.346 
.288 
.291 
.385 
.347 
.300 
.302 
.348 
.303 
.307 
.324 



Medicinal 281 

Medicine to give an infant 291 

Menstruation, anodyne for painful 389 

Menstruation, obstructed 389 

Menstruation, difficult 340 

Menstruation, difficult 369 

Milk fever 353 

Milk 411 

Miscarriage, or abortion 353 

Miscellaneous recipes 385 

Mouth, inflammation of the 351 

Wavel, protrusion of the 357 

Nerve and bone liniment 391 

Nervous shock 354 

Neuralgia, internal remedy for 395 

Neuralgia, king of oils for 395 

New method of embalming, 386 

Nipples, sore 291 

Nose, bleeding from.. 299 

Nose, broken bones 339 

Nurse, the 286 

Nursing and rest 290 

Oakum stypium, carded S81 

Obstructed menstruation 389 

Ointment for old sores ...392 



INDEX. 



Ointment, green 893 

Ointment, itch 392 

Ointment, Judkin's 393 

Ointment, pile , 388 

Opiates, 306 

Ophthalmia, catarrhal 322 

Ophthalmia, purulent of adults 322 

Ophthalmia, purulent of children 322 

Ophthalmia, rheumatic 322 

Oriental cold cream 387 

I»aralysis 354 

Paregoric 388 

Paste, razor-strop 387 

Pile ointment 388 

Piles 343 

Pills, dropsy 394 

Pills, eclectic liver 394 

Pills, to promote menstrual secretion.. 389 

Pitting, to prevent in small-pox 365 

Plaster, blistering 284 

Plaster, isinglass 382 

Poulticing 283 

Poultry, game, etc 41 6 

Pregnancy 355 

Pregnancy, disorders of .^355 

Pregnancy, signs of 355 

Prolapsus uteri 390 

Protrusion of the navel 357 

Puerperal fever 357 

Purpura 358 

Purulent ophthalmia of adults 322 

Purulent ophthalmia of children 322 

Hazor-strop paste 38? 

Eecipes, miscellaneous 385 

Remittent fever 35° 

Rest and nursing 29° 

Re-vaccination 3l6 

Rheumatic ophthalmia 323 

Rheumatism 359 

Rheumatism, chronic 360, 41 1 

Rheumatism, inflammarory 393 

Rheumatism, neuralgic 331 

Rheumatism, sciatica 360 

Rheumatism, sub-acute 359 

Ribs, broken, ....338 

Ripe fruit, vegetables : 416 

Russia salve 385 

Salt rheum ointment, Meads 393 

Salve, Green Mountain 391 

Salve, Russia 385 

Scalds 306 

Scarlet fever 360 

Scarletina. 360 

Scrofula 370 

Sedative lotions .282 

Serpent's bites 298 

Shaving cream 387 

Shaving mixture 387 

Shaving soap, Yankee 387 

Sheet, wet 283 

Shellfish ...... 416 

Shock, nervous 354 

Shoulder-joint, dislocation of 325 

Sick headache, charcoal cure for 391 

Sick room, management of 281 



Sleep. 

Small-pox, malignant 364 

Small-pox, modified 361 

Soap, Yankee shaving 387 

Soothing syrup 385 

Sore nipples 291 

Sore throat, clergyman's .312 

Spasm 365 

Spirits 418 

Splitting Mood..... 300 



Splinters, thorns, etc 365 

Splints 33g 

Sponge bath .*.*.". .*.".'. 406 

Stabs, cuts, wounds, etc !377 

Stimulants, caution in the use of !287 

Stimulants, alcoholic .'417 

Stimulants, external , * 285 

Stings of insects, etc ! ! .365 

Stomachache 366 

Stomach, bleeding from the !..!!.. 301 

Stone-pock 368 

Stranguary ^69 

Struma or scrofula 370 

Suckling 290 

Sunstroke 370 

Swaim's vermifuge 385 

Swallowing foreign bodies 370 

Sweating drops 389 

Syrup, cough 388 

Syrup for consumptives 389 

Syrup, infant's 385 

Syrup, soothing 385 

Tea, beef 413 

Teething fever 391 

Teeth, to extract with little pain 385 

Tepid bath 407 

Thorns, etc 365 

Throat, clergyman's sore 312 

To extract teeth with little pain 385 

To give medicine to an infant 386 

Toothache 370 

Tooth wash 386 

Treatment of lying in women 289 

Tremens, delirium 318 

Troches, Brown's bronchial 385 

Turkish bath 408 

Typhoid fever 371 

Typhus 373 

XJrine, incontinence of 345 

Uter kie hemorrhages 390 

Vaccination 375 

Vaccination, mode of 375 

Vapor baths, 407 

Variola 361 

Vegetables, fruits, etc 416 

Venous hemorrhage ....383 

Vermifuge, Swaim's 385 

Voice, loss of ...377 

Vomiting 371 

Vomiting, in pregnancy 356 

"Warts and corns 392 

Water 414 

Wens, to cure 395 

Wet sheet... 283 

Whooping cough 344 

Wine, febrifuge 388 

Wines 418 

Woman, treatment of the lying-in 289 

Womb, falling of the 390 

Worm lozenges 385 

Worms, intestinal 384 

Wounds and bruises, dressings for 381 

Wonnds, bruised 378 

Wounds, contused ...377 

Wounds, cuts, stabs, etc 377 

Wounds, gunshot 380 

Wounds, hemorrhage from 382 

Wounds, incised 377 

Wounds, lacerated 377 

Wounds, non-perforating 880 

Wounds, perforating....- 880 

Wounds, punctured 377 

Yankee shaving soap 387 



I 



INDEX. 



Bladder, hemorrhage from the 342 

Bladder, inflammation of the 300 

Bleeding from from the bowels 301 

Bleeding from the lungs 300 

Bleeding from the nose 299 

Bleeding from the stomach 801 

Blistering liquid 285 

Blistering plaster and liquid 284 

Blood, expectoration of 300 

Bloody flux 330 

Bites, leech 383 

Boils 302 

Bone liniment 391 

Bowels bleeding from the 301 

Bowels, inflammation of the 302 

Bowels, strangulation of the 313 

Brain, concussion of the 314 

Brain, congestion of the 314 

Brain fever 348 

Brain, inflammation of the 348 

Brain, irritation of the 319 

Breast, inflammation of the 303 

Bright's disease of the kidneys 304 

Bruises 304 

Bruises, dressing for 381 

Broken collar bone 338 

Broken ribs 338 

Bronchial troches, Brown's 285 

Bronchitis 308 

Bronchitis, chronic 411 

Bronchocle 340 

Brown's bronchial troches 385 

Buchu, compound excract of 386 

Burns and scalds 305 

Burns from chemicals 306 

Burns, gunpowder 306 

Camphor ice 

Cancer, English remedy for 391 

Carbolated oil, 381 

Carbuncles 302 

Carded oakum stypium , . .381 

Catarrhal ophthalmia 322 

Caution in the uss of stimulants 287 

Chapped hands 307 

Charcoal cure for headache 391 

Cheese 417 

Chemicals, burns from 306 

Cherry Pectoral, Ayer's 385 

Chest, inflammation of the 307 

Chest, wounds of the 379 

Chicken pox v.. 309 

Chilblains 310 

Chin cough 344 

Cholera 310 

Cholera, Asiatic 310 

Cholera, Egyptian cure for 395 

Cholera, malignant. .'.-.•* 310 

Cholera, spasmodic . : .^.t 310 

Circassian cream 387 

Cleanliness 282 

Clergymen's sore throat . s . 312 

Climate ,™ .- 409 

Climate, effects of change of 409 

C old bath . . . .<* 1 ■#» .TV.-, .-f. : 406 

Cold in the head. 306 

Colic .-. 312 

Colic, the painter's 313 

Collar bone, broken 338 

Compound dislocation 326 

Concussion of the brain 314 

Congestion of the brain, 314 

Congestion of the liver :• 296 

Constipation 315 

Consumption. . . ... . . 315, 410 

Consumptives, syrup for 389 



Convulsions - 316 

Cornea, inflammationof the 324 

Corns 317 

Corns and warts 392 

Cough 317 

Cough, chin 344 

Cough syrup 388 

Cough, whooping 344 

Counter-irritants 285 

Cramp. .....865 

Cream, Circassian 387 

Cream, Oriental 387 

Cream, shaving. 387 

Croup 317 

Cuts, stabs, wounds, etc 377 

IDandriff 318 

Deformity 333 

Degeneration of the kidneys 304 

Delirium tremens 318 

Dentition.. .. 319 

Derbyshire neck 340 

Diabetes 320 

Diarrhoea , 321 

Diarrhoea English or autumnal. 310 

Diet 289 

Diet general 415 

Diet, in relation to disease 411 

Diptheria, remedy for 385 

Diseases and remedies 291 

Diseases of the eye 321 

Dislocations 325 

Dislocations, compound 327 

Dislocation of the hip joint 326 

Dislocation of the jaw 325 

Dislocation of the shoulder joint 325 

Dog bites 327 

Dropsy 327 

Dropsy, pills for the .394 

Drowning 327 

Dysentery 330 

Dyspepsia 346, 411 

Ear-ache 330 

Ear, inflammation of the 331 

Eclectic liver pills 394 

Eggs 414 

Egyptian cure for cholera 395 

Electro-magnetic liniment 392 

Embalming, new method of 386 

English remedy for cancer 391 

Enteric or intestinal fever 371 

Epilepsy 331 

Expectoration of blood 300 

External stimulants 285 

Eye, diseases of the 321 

Eye preparations 394 

Eyes, sore, Indian prescription for 395 

Eye water, Indian 395 

Fainting ...332, 384 

Fainting from bleeding .384 

Farinaceous foods 415 

Febrifuge wine 388 

Feeding-bottles, objectionable 413 

Felons 391 

Felons, salve for 392 

Felons, ointment for ..392 

Female complaints 389 

Female complaints, chronic 390 

Fever, infantile remittent 346 

Fever, intestinal or enteric 371 

Fever, milk 353 

Fever, puerperal 357 

Fever, remittent 358 

Fever, scarlet 360 

Fever, teething 319 






INDEX. 



Tomatoes, stewed 173, 184 

Tongue, boiled 135 

To clean silk dresses 321 

To prevent blue fabrics from fading. . .221 

To remove grass stains 220 

To remove iron rust stains 220 

To remove mildew 221 

To remove scorches 221 

To season the soup 110 

To wash colored flannels 220 

To wash flannel without shrinking it. .220 

Tripe, to fry 136 

Trout 122 

Turkey and chicken stuffling 151 

Turkey, boiled 145 

Turkey,boned 149 

Turkey, escalloped 151 

Turkey, roast 147 

Turkey, soup Ill 

Turkey, to boil 151 

Turnips, young 177 

Veal 140 

Veal and potato pie 144 

Veal, boiled 135 

Veal chop s 142 

Veal, hashed. 143 

Veal pie 144 

Veal stewed with vegetables 142 

Veal sweet breads 170 

Veal, to broil 140 

Veal, to roast 143 

Vegetables I7i 

Venison 157 

Venison steak, fried 157 

Vienna coffee 104 

"Wall papers, to clean 209 

Water, to preserve fresh 220 

Wedding cake 204 

Whortleberry pudding 201 

Winecakes 202 

Wood furniture 214 

Yeast 184 

Yeast, hop 187 

Yeast, old school Presbyterian 187 

Domestic Pets, 

Birds 231 

Canaries 237 

Bomestic pets 227 

Dormouse 229 

Doves 246 

Goldfinch 274 

Mice 231 

Nestlings 233 

Nightingale, Virginian 245 

I*arrots 245 

Pets, domestic 227 

(Squirrel 227 

"Virginian nightingale , 245 

Poultry. 

JLsthma ... 274 

Bantam, the 249 

Bolton gray, the - 250 

Breeding stock, management of 265 

Chickens 269 

Cochin China, the 251 

Costiveness 275 

Cuckoo, the 262 

Biarrhcea 275 

Diseases and remedies 274 



Dominique, the 263 

Dorking, the 253 

Dorking, the black .255 

Ducks 273 

Feathers, loss of 277 

Fever 276 

Food 267 

Fowl, the game 255 

Fowls and sitters 264 

Fowls for layers 262 

Game fowl, the 255 

Game fowl, Spanish 256 

Game fowl, wild Indian, .256 

Goose 271 

Goose, breeding 271 

Gray, the Bolton 250 

Guinea Hen 271 

Hamburg, the Spangled 257 

Hen house 268 

Indigestion 276 

Layers, fowls for 262 

Lice 276 

Loss of feathers 277 

Maylay, the 257 

Management of breeding stock 265 

Beacock and Guinea hen 271 

Pheasant, the Silver 261 

277 



Pip. 

Plymouth Rock,Sthe 259 

Poland, the , 259 

Poultry 249 

Roup 278 

Silver pheasant, the 261 

Sitters 264 

Spangled Hamburg, the 257 

Sp anish, the 261 

Spanish, game 259 

Sores and wounds 276 

Turkey, the 269 

Turkey, breeding 270 

Wild Indian game 256 

Wounds and sores 279 

Medicinal, 

Abdomen 879 

Abortion 353 

Abscess, milk 803 

Air, fresh 281 

Ague 291 

Ague, cure for 391 

Alcohol stimulants 417 

Appoplexy 298 

Arterial Hemorrhage 382 

Artery, tying of an 383 

Asthma 295 

Asthma, remedies for 393 

Ayer's Cherry Pectoral 385 

Barber's shampoo mixture .388 

Barrel's Indian liniment .388 

Baths and bathing 405 

Baths, cold 406 

Baths, hot 407 

Baths, hot air 407 

Baths, sponge. 406 

Baths, tepid 407 

Bathe, Turkish 408 

Beef tea 413 

Biliary derangements 296 

Biliousness 296 

Bite, dog 299 

Bite, serpent 298 



INDEX. 



Poisons and Antidotes. 

A.cid, carbolic 402 

Acid, hydro chloric 403 

Acid, hydrocyanic. ......* 401 

Acid, muriatic 402 

Acid, nitric ...402 

Acid, oxalic 401 

Acid, prussic 401 

Acid, sulphuric , 402 

Aconite 396 

Alkalies 405 

Ammonia 405 

Animal poisons 396 

Antimony 403 

Aqua f ortis 402 

Arsenic 403 

Balladonna 397 

Bluevitriol 404 

Butter of antimony 403 

Calomel 404 

Cambogia 398 

Carbolic acid .• 402 

Chloride of zinc 405 

Copper , 404 

Corrosive sublimate.'. 404 

I>eadly nightshade 397 

Digitalis 397 

! Fox-glove 397 

.Oamboge 398 

; Hellebores, the 398 

Hemlock 398 

Hemp, Indian 398 

Henbane ..399 

Hydrochloric acid 402 

Hyoscyamus 399 

Indian hemp ... 



Laburnum ....399 

Lead 404 

Lead, sugar of 404 

Lead, white 409 

Meadow saffron 399 

Mercury 404 

Mineral poisons 402 

Monkshood 396 

Muriatic acid 402 

Mushrooms 400 

Nightshrde, deadly 397 

Nitric acid 402 

Nux vomica 400 

Oil of vitriol 402 

Opium 400 

Oxalic acid 401 

Poisons 396 

Poisons, animal 396 

Poisons, mineral 402 

Poisons, vegetable 396 

Prussic acid 401 

Saffron, meadow 399 

Salt, spirits of 40B 

Strychnine 400 

Sugar of iead .404 

Sulphuric acid 402 

Tartar emetic 403 

■vegetable poisons 396 

Verdigris 404 

White lead 404 

Yew 401 

Zinc, chloride of 405 

Medicines & their Doses. 

Articles suitable for a medicine chest. .425 



Miscellaneous Helps. 



Cook's time table 426 

Housekeeper's measures and weights 427 

Articles Required for the Kitchen 428 

Material required for various garments and articles 429 

Parliamentary law at sight 430 

Words often mispronounced 431 

Rules for Spelling 432 

Rules for punetuation 432 

Use of capitals 433 





THE COQUETTE. 

"Hypocrisy is the homage vice pays to virtue." 

Francis, Due de Rochefoucauld* 







ETIQUETTE. 



Outdoor Etiquette. — When three ladies are walking to- 
gether, it is better for one to keep a little in advance of the 
other two, than for all three to persist in maintaining one un- 
broken line. They cannot all join in conversation without 
talking across each other-a thing that in-doors or out-of-doors, 
is awkward, inconvenient, ungenteel, and should always be 
, avoided. Also, three ladies walking abreast occupy too much 
of the pavement, and, therefore, incommode the other passen- 
gers. If you meet a lady with whom you have become but 
slightly acquainted, and had merely a little conversation (for 
instance, at a party or a morning visit), and who moves in a 
circle somewhat higher or more fashionable than your own, it 
is proper to wait till she recognizes you. Let her not see in 
you a disposition to obtrude yourself on her notice. 

It is not expected that all intimacies formed at watering- 
places should continue after the parties have returned to their 
homes. A mutual bow when meeting in the street is sufficient; 
but there is no interchanging of visits unless ladies have, be- 
fore parting, testified a desire to continue the acquaintance. 
In this case the lady who is the senior, or palpably highest in 
station, makes the first call. It is not customary for a young 
lady to make the first visit to a married lady. 

When meeting them in the street, always speak first to your 
milliner, mantua-maker, seamstress, or to any one you have 
been in the habit of employing. To pass without notice ser- 
vants whom you know is rude and unfeeling, and they will 
attribute it to pride, not presuming to speak to you themselves 
unless in reply. There are persons who, having accepted, when 
in thf> cc , much kindness from the country people, arg 



18 ETIQUETTE. 

ashamed to recognize them when they come to town on ac- 
count of their rustic or unfashionable attire. This is vulgar 
and contemptible, and is always seen through and despised. 
Those to be avoided are such as wear tawdry finery, paint 
their faces and leer, looking graceless, even if they are not dis- 
reputable in reality. When meeting a gentleman whom a lady 
has no objection to numbering among her acquaintances, she 
denotes it by bowing first. If she has any reason to dissap- 
prove of his character or habits, she is perfectly justified in 
"cutting" him, as it is termed. Let her bow very coldly the 
first time, and, after that, not at all. When a lady is walking 
between two gentlemen she should divide her conversation as 
euqally as practicable, or address most of it to the greater 
stranger to her. He to whom she is least on ceremony will 
excuse her. If you stop a few minutes in the street to talk to 
an acquaintance, draw to one side of the pavement, near the 
wall, so as not to impede the passengers, or you may turn and 
walk with, her as far as the next corner. And never stop to 
talk in the middle of a crossing. To speak loudly in the street 
is unladylike, and to call across the way to an acquaintance is 
in execrable taste. It is best to hasten over and speak to her 
if you have anything of importance to say. 

When a stranger offers to assist you over a puddle, or some- 
thing of the kind, do not hesitate or decline as if you thought 
he was taking an unwarrantable liberty. He means nothing 
but civility; so accept it frankly, and thank him for it. 

On being escorted home by a gentleman, a lady expects he 
will not leave her till he has rung the bell, and waited until she 
is actually in the house, although it has been thought sufficient, 
by men who know no better, to walk with her to the foot of 
the steps, and then take their departure, leaving her to get in 
as she can. 

Places of Amusement. — To secure a good seat at any place 
of amusement go early. It is better to sit an hour before the 
performance begins than to arrive after it has commenced. 
The time of waiting will soon pass away in conversation with 
the friends whom you have accompanied. When practicable, 
leave hats and cloaks in the apartment set apart for them. 

When invited to join a party begin to prepare in amplo 



ETIQUETTE. 19 

time, so as not to keep them waiting for you. When a large 
party is going to a place of amusement (for instance, the thea- 
tre or opera) it is better that each family should go thither from 
their own home (being provided with their own tickets), than 
that they should all rendezvous at the house of one of the 
company, at the risk of keeping the whole party waiting per- 
haps for the very youngest members of it. When a box has 
been taken, let the tickets be sent to all the persons who are to 
have seats in it, and not retained by the taker of the box till 
the whole party have assembled at the door of the theatre. If 
the tickets are thus distributed, the persons from each house 
can go when they please without compelling any of the party 
to wait for them. 

To make an entrance after the performance has begun is 
(or ought to be) very embarrasing to ladies. It excites the at- 
tention of all around, diverting attention from the performance; 
and there is always, when the house is full and the hour late, 
some delay and difficulty in reaching the seats even when they 
have been engaged. 

If it is a concert, where places Cann6tbe previously secured, 
there are of course additional reasons for going in due time, 
and the most sensible and best behaved part of the audience 
always endeavor to do so. But if you are unavoidably late, 
be satisfied to pay the penalty by quietly taking back seats, if 
no others are vacant. Young ladies arriving after the perfor- 
mance had commenced, have been seen walking boldly up to 
the front benches and standing there, looking steadfastly in 
the faces of gentlemen who, with their parties, had earned good 
seats by coming soon after the doors were opened. The ladies 
persevered in this determined stare till they succeeded in dis- 
loging these unfortunate gentlemen, and compelling them to 
quit their seats, to leave the ladies of their party, and stand for 
the remainder of the evening in a distant part of the room. 

To laugh deridingly or to whisper unfavorable remarks, 
during the performance of a concert or a play is a rudeness 
of which no lady is guilty. Occasionally are seen some of that 
few who, much to the annoyance of those persons near them 
who really wish to enjoy what they came for, talk audibly in 
ridicule of the performers, the performers being, in all proba- 



20 ETIQUETTE. 

bility, near enough to hear these vexatious remarks, and to be 
disconcerted by them. It is also a gross breach of good breed- 
ing to anticipate the "good things," or destroy the interest of 
others in the plot of the piece, by stating what you may know 
of either, to those near you. 

At Church. — Ladies should endeavor always to be in their 
pews before the service begins, and when the benediction is 
finished take their departure quietly, without any hurry or 
bustle. If you go into a church where you are a stranger, wait 
in the vestibule until you see the sexton, and then request him 
to show you a vacant seat. This is better than to wander about 
the aisles alone, or to intrude yourself into a pew where you 
may cause inconvenience to its owners. If you see that a pew 
is full you know of course that you cannot obtain a seat in it 
without dislodging somebody. If a family invites you to go to 
church with them or to come thither, and to have a seat in 
their pew, do not take the liberty of asking a friend of your 
own to accompany you ; and, above all, do not bring a child 
with you. Should you (having a pew of your own) ask another 
lady to go with you, call for her in due time, and she ought to 
be quite ready. Place her in a corner seat (it being the most 
comfortable), and see that she is accommodated with a foot- 
stool; and be assiduous in finding the places for her in the 
prayer book or hymn book. 

In visiting a church of a different denomination from your 
own, comply as far as you can with all the ceremonies observed 
by the congregation, particularly if you are in a foreign coun- 
try. Even if some of the observances are not the least in con- 
formity with your own opinions and feelings, remember that 
you are there as a guest and have no right to offend or dis- 
please your hosts by evincing a marked disapprobation of their 
mode of worship. If you find it very irksome to refrain (which 
it should not be) you need not go a second time. 

Young ladies who, on their way to church, laugh and talk 
loudly with their escort, are, to say the least, guilty of a serious 
indiscretion. It is too probable that their escort will occupy 
a large share of their thoughts during the hours of worship. 
Nay, there are some so irreverent and so regardless of the 
sanctity of the place as to indulge in frequent whispers to those 
near them, or to their friends in adjoining pews. 



ETIQUETTE. 21 

Visiting. — A lady is said to have the entree of her friend's 
room when she is allowed or assumes the privilege of entering 
it familiarly at all times, and without any previous intimation — 
a privilege too often abused. In many cases the visited per- 
son has never really granted the privilege (and after growing 
wise by experience she rarely will), but the visitor, assuming 
that she herself must under all circumstances be welcome, 
carries her sociability so far as to become troublesome and in- 
convenient. 

There are few occasions on which it is proper, on entering 
a house, to run directly to the chamber of your friend, and to 
enter the room without knocking, or the very instant after 
knocking, before she has time to desire you to enter or to make 
the slightest arrangement for your reception. You may find 
her washing or dressing, or even engaged in repairing clothes 
— or the room may be in great disorder, or the chambermaid in 
the act of cleaning it. No one likes unseasonable interrup- 
tions, even from a very dear friend. 

A familiar visit will always begin more pleasantly if the 
visitor inquires of the servant at the door if the lady she wishes 
to see is at home, and then goes into the parlor and stays there 
until she has sent her name, and ascertained that she can be 
received upstairs. Then, and not till then, let her go to her 
friend's room, taking care to knock before entering. 

It is extremely rude, on being admitted to a private apart- 
ment, to look curiously about as if taking an inventory of all 
that is to be seen. We have known ladies whose eyes were all 
the time gazing round, and even slily peering under tables, 
sofas, &c, turning their heads to look after every person who 
chanced to move about the room, and giving particular atten- 
tion to whatever seemed to be in disorder or out of place. 

Make no remark upon the work in which you find youJ 
friend engaged. If she lays it aside, desire her not to leave it 
because of your presence, but propound no questions concern- 
ing it. Do not look over her books, and ask to borrow them. 
In short, meddle with nothing. 

If you are perfectly certain that you really have the entree 
of your friend's room, you have no right to extend that privi- 
lege to any other person who may chance to be with you when 



- 



i>% ETIQUETTE. 

you go to see her. It is taking an unjustifiable liberty to in- 
trude a stranger upon the privacy of her chamber. If another 
lady is with you waive the privilege of entree for that time, take 
your companion into the parlor, and send up the names of 
both. 

There are certain unoccupied ladies so over-friendly as to 
take the entree of the whole house. These are generally ultra- 
neighborly neighbors, who run in at all hours of the day and 
evening; ferret out the ladies of the family wherever they may 
be; watch their proceedings when engaged, like good house- 
wives, in inspecting the attics, the store rooms, the cellars, or 
the kitchen. Never for a moment do they seem to suppose 
that their hourly visits may perhaps be inconvenient or unsea- 
sonable; or too selfish to abate their frequency even when they 
suspect them to be so these inveterate sociablists make their in- 
cursions at all avenues. They are quite domesticated in your 
house. They see all, hear all, know all your concerns. Their 
talk to you is chiefly gossip, and, therefore, their talk about 
you is chiefly the same. They are au fait of everything con- 
cerning your table. They find out everybody that comes to 
your house; know all your plans for going to this place or that; 
are well acquainted with every article you wear; are present at 
the visits of all your friends, and hear all their conversation. 
Their own is usually "an infinite deal of nothing." 

To avoid the danger of being overwhelmed by the sociabil- 
ity of an idle neighbor, discourage the first indications of undue 
intimacy by making your own visits rather few and far be- 
tween. A young lady of good sense and of proper self-respect 
will never be too lavish of her society; and, if she has pleasant 
neighbors, will visit them always in moderation. 

To friends or very intimate acquaintance visits may be left 
to create their own etiquette, as, in fact, they are left, whatever 
rules may be laid down. Not to go too frequently to the same 
house; not to stay too long when you do go; to let no intimacy 
overstep the bounds of courtesy, are obvious hints. Half an 
hour amply suffices for a visit of ceremony. The lady may 
not remove any article of her attire, even if politely requested 
to do so by the mistress of the house. If, however, your visit 
is to a particular friend, the case is different; even then, it is 
boot to wait till you are invited J :o do zr. 



ETIQUETTE. 25 

Favorite dogs are never welcome visitors in a drawing 
room. Many people have even a dislike to such animals; they 
require watching lest they should leap upon a chair or sofa, 
or place themselves on a lady's dress, and attentions of the 
kind are much out of place. Neither ought a mother, when 
•paying a ceremonial visit, to be accompanied by young chil- 
dren. It is frequently difficult to amuse them, and, if not par- 
ticularly well trained at home, they naturally seize hold of 
books or those elegant ornaments with which it is fashionable 
to decorate the drawing-room. In some families evening calls 
are allowed. Should you chance to visit such a family, and 
find that they have a party, present yourself and converse for 
a few minutes with an unembarrassed air, after which you may 
retire, unless urged to remain. A slight invitation given for 
the sake of courtesy ought not to be accepted. Make no apol- 
ogy for your unintentional intrusion; but let it be known, in 
the course of a few days, that you were not aware that your 
friends had company. 

Morning visits are usually paid between the hours of two 
and four p. m. in winter, and two and five in summer. The 
object in view in observing this rule is to avoid intruding be- 
fore the luncheon is removed, and leave in sufficient time to 
allow the lady of the house leisure for her dinner toilet. 

Should the lady you desire to call upon be from home, 
leave your card; no message is requisite. If your visit is in- 
tended for two persons, leave two cards. Do not turn down 
the corner of your card; that fashion has now exploded. 

When introduced to strangers, bow slightly and enter at 
once into conversation with them; to bow and take no further 
notice of them, but to continue your conversation with the 
lady on whom you are calling, is a great want of good 
breeding. Visits of congratulation should be short, and must 
always be made before dinner. 

Visits of condolence are to be paid with as little delay as 
possible after the occurrence that calls them forth. Unless you 
are very intimate, it is an evidence of better taste to leave a 
card than to intrude upon private sorrow. Should you be so 
nearly related as to render a personal visit necessary, take care 
to appear in a quiet dress, and, if the occasion be the death oi 



U ETIQUETTE. 

a person even slightly related to you, go in mourning— deep or 
otherwise, according to the degree of relationship. It is con- 
sidered in good taste for ladies to make their calls in black 
silk or plain colored apparel. It denotes that they sympathize 
with the afflictions of the family, and such attentions are always 
pleasing. 

Cards must be left on all occasions of a formal character. 
A lady leaves her own, and two of her husband's — one is in- 
tended for the gentleman of the house, and one for the lady. 
The names of the lady's daughters are often printed on the 
same card with the name of their mother, and when such a 
card is left, it implies that mother and daughters have called. 

When you arrive in town it is proper to call and leave your 
card, as an intimation that you are in the neighborhood, thus 
acting the reverse of what is considered polite when in the 
country, where the rule is that the stranger wait until called 
upon. 

If the cards are left preparatory to leaving town, the initials 
P. P. C. {pour prendre conge) should be written in pencil on the 
corner of them. 

Cards sent during the illness of a member of a family 
should be accompanied by verbal inquiries as to the patient's 
state. Upon the birth of a child, cards may be sent twice or 
thrice a week for two weeks. Cards may be left or sent the 
day after a ball. After a dinner party, cards should be left 
within a week. 

A lady's card should be thin and not glazed. Some people 
omit the prefix "Miss" to their names on the card. This is an 
affectation of simplicity which takes away all appearance of 
that quality. It is a thing unknown in English society, though 
the fashion on the Continent, for a lady to have only her Chris- 
tian name and her surname on the card. 

The Visited. — Having invited a friend to pass a few days 
or weeks at your house, and expecting her at a certain time, 
meet her on arrival, or, if that be impracticable, send a servant 
to secure a conveyance and attend to her luggage. It is to be 
supposed that before her arrival you have inspected the cham- 
ber of your guest, to see that none of the articles that are in all 
genteel and well-furnished houses are wanting— tb^t there are 






ETIQUETTE. 25 

two ewers of fresh water on the stand, and three towels on the 
rail (two fine and one coarse), a foot-bath, and other requisites. 
On the mantel-piece a candle or lamp, with a box of lucifer 
matches beside it — the candle to be replaced by a new one 
every morning when the chamber-maid arranges the room, or 
the lamp to be trimmed daily; so that the visitor may have a 
light at hand whenever she pleases, without ringing the bell and 
waiting till a servant brings one up. 

The room should have an easy chair with a foot cushion 
before it; a low chair also, to sit on when shoes and stockings 
are to be changed, &c. 

Let the centre table be furnished with a writing-desk, well 
supplied with all that is necessary; also some books, such as 
you think your friend would like. Let her find, at least, one 
bureau vacant, all the drawers empty, so that she may be able 
to unpack her muslins, &c, and arrange them at once. 

Arriving at your house, have your guest's baggage taken at 
once to the apartment prepared for her, and, when she goes 
upstairs, send a servant with her to unstrap her trunks. Then 
let her be left alone to arrange her dress. 

Every morning after the chamber-maid has done her duty 
(the room of the visitor is the first to be put in order), the hos- 
tess should go in to see that all is right. This done, no further 
inspection is necessary. It is very kind and considerate to in- 
quire of your guest if there is any dish or article of food that 
she particularly likes, so that you may have it on the table 
while she stays, and, also, if there is anything peculiarly disa- 
greeable to her, so that you may refrain from having it during 
her visit. 

For such deficiencies as may be avoided or remedied, re- 
frain from making the absurd apology that you consider her 
"no stranger," and that you regard her "just as one of the fam- 
ily." If you invite her at all, it is your duty for your own sake 
as well as hers to treat her well in everything. 

If she desires to assist you in sewing, and has brought no 
work of her own, you may avail yourself of the offer, and em- 
ploy her in moderation — but let it be in moderation only, and 
when sitting in the family circle. When alone in her own room 
she, of course, would much rather read, write, or occupy her- 
self in some way for her own benefit or amusement. 



26 ETIQUETTE. 

Let the children be strictly forbidden to run into the apart- 
ments of visitors; interdict them from going thither unless sent 
with a message, and then let them be made to understand that 
they are always to knock at the door, and not go in until de- 
sired to do so. Also that they are not to play and make a 
noise in the neighborhood of her room. And when she comes 
into the parlor, that they are not to jump on her lap, put their 
hands into her pockets, or rummage her work-basket, or rumple 
and soil her dress by clinging to it with their hands. Neither 
should they be permitted to amuse themselves by rattling on 
the lower keys when she is playing on the piano, or interrupt 
her by teasing her all the time to play "for them to dance." 
To permit children to ask visitors for pennies or sixpences is 
mean and contemptible. And if money is given them by a 
guest, they should be made to return it immediately. 

Inquire ok the first evening if your visitor is accustomed to 
taking any refreshment before she retires for the night. If she 
is, have something sent up to her room every night, unless your 
own family are in the same habit. These little repasts are very 
pleasant, especially at the close of a long winter evening, and 
after coming home from a place of public amusement. 

To "welcome the coming — speed the parting guest" — is a 
good maxim. So, when your visitor is about to leave you, 
make all smooth and ready for her departure. Let her be 
called up at an early hour, if she is to set out in the morning. 
Send a servant up to strap and bring down her trunks, as soon 
as she has announced that "they are ready; and see that an 
early breakfast is prepared for her, and some of the family up 
and dressed to share it with her. Have a cab or carriage at 
the door in due time, and let some male member of the family 
accompany her to the starting place, and see her off, attending 
to her baggage and procuring tickets. 

- Visitors. — When you have invited a friend to take tea with 
you endeavor to render her visit as agreeable as you can; and 
try by all means to make her comfortable. 

The servant who attends the door should be instructed to 
show the guest upstairs as soon as she arrives, conducting her 
to an unoccupied apartment, where she may take off her bon- 
net and arrange her hair, or any part of her dress that may re- 



V 



ETIQUETTE. 27 

quire change and improvement. The lady should then be left 
to herself. Nothing is polite that can possibly incommode or 
embarrass — therefore it is a mistaken civility for the hostess, or 
some female member of the family, to follow the visitor up- 
stairs, and remain with her all the time she is preparing for her 
appearance in the parlor. Over officiousness is not politeness, 
and nothing troublesome and inconvenient is ever agreeable. 

The toilet-table should be always well furnished with a 
dean hair brush and a nice comb ; a hand-mirror of sufficient 
size to afford a glimpse of the back of the head and neck. A 
small work-box, properly furnished with needles, scissors, 
thimble and thread, ought to find a place on the dressing table, 
in case the visitor may have occasion to repair any accident 
that may have happened to her dress. 

The hostess should be in the parlor prepared to receive 
her visitor, and to give her at once a seat in the corner of a 
sofa, or on a fauteuil, or large comfortable chair; if a rocking- 
chair, a footstool is an indispensable appendage. But rocking- 
chairs are now seldom seen in a parlor; handsome, stuffed easy 
chairs that are moved on castors are substituted. 

If in consequence of dining very late you are in the habit 
of also taking tea at a late hour — or making but slight prepar- 
ations for that repast — waive that custom when you expect a 
friend whom you know to be in the practice of dining early, 
and who, perhaps, has walked far enough to feel fatigued and 
to acquire an appetite. For her accommodation order the tea 
earlier than usual, and let it be what may be called a substan- 
tial tea. If there is ample room at table, do not have the tea 
carried round, particularly if you have but one servant to hand 
the whole, It is tedious, inconvenient, and unsatisfactory. 
The absurd practice of eating in gloves has been wisely abol- 
ished among genteel people. 

Do not, in sitting down to table, inform your guest that 
"you make no stranger of her," or that you fear she will not 
be able to enjoy your "plain fare." These apologies are un- 
genteel and foolish. If your circumstances will not allow you 
on any consideration to make a little improvement in your 
usual family fare, your friend is, in all probability, aware of 
the fact, and will not wish or expect you to ( incur any incon- 



28 ETIQUETTE. 

venient expense on her account. But, if you are known to 
possess the means of living well, you ought to do so; and to 
consider a good though not an extravagantly luxurious table 
as a necessary part of your expenditure. There is a vast dif- 
ference between laudable economy and mean economy; the 
latter (whether it shows itself in bad food, bad fires, bad lights, 
bad servants) is never excused in persons who dress extrava- 
gantly and live surrounded by costly furniture, and who are 
known to be wealthy and able to afford comfort as [well as 
show. 

If you invite a friend to tea in whose own family there ia 
no gentleman or no man-servant, it is your dnty previously to 
ascertain that you can provide her on that evening with an es- 
cort home. If you keep a carriage, it will be most kind to 
send her home in it. 

In inviting a few friends, which means a small, select com- 
pany, endeavor to bring together people who have community 
of tastes, feelings and ideas. If you mix the dull and stupid 
with the bright and animated, the cold and formal with the 
frank and lively, the professedly serious with the gay and cheer- 
ful, the light with the heavy, and, above all, those who pride 
themselves on their birth with those who boast of "belonging to 
the people;" none of these "few friends" will enjoy each other's 
society — the evening will not go off agreeably, and you, and 
the other members of your family, will have the worst of it. 
The pleasantest people in the room will naturally congregate 
together, and the task of entertaining the unentertainable will 
devolve on yourself and your own people. 

If a friend makes an afternoon call, and you wish her to 
stay and take tea, invite her to do so at once, as soon as she 
has sat down, and do not wait until she has risen to depart. 
Should chance visitors come in before the family have gone to 
tea, let them at once be invited to pari ake of that repast, which 
they will, of course, decline, if they have had tea already. In 
a well-provided house there can be no difficulty in adding 
something to the family tea table, which, in genteel life, should 
never be discreditably parsimonious. It is a very mean prac- 
tice for the members of the family to slip out of the parlor one 
by one at a time and steal into an adjoining room to avoid in- 



ETIQUETTE. 29 

viting their visitor to accompany them. How much better to 
meet the inconvenience by conducting your accidental guest to 
the table, unless she says she has already taken tea, and will 
amuse herself with a book while the family are at theirs. 

Casual evening visitors should avoid staying too late. Ten 
o'clock is the usual time to depart, or at least to prepare for 
doing so. If the visit is unduly prolonged, there may be evi- 
dent signs of irrepressible drowsiness in the heads of the fam- 
ily, which, when perceived, will annoy the guest, who must then 
feel that she has stayed too long. 

If you are engaged to take tea with an intimate friend, who 
assures you that you will see none but the family, and you 
afterwards receive an invitation to join a party to a place of 
amusement, which you have long been desirous of visiting, you 
may retract your first engagement, provided you send an apol- 
ogy in due time, telling the exact truth, and telling it in polite 
terms. Your intimate friend will take no offence, considering 
it perfectly natural that you should prefer the concert, the play, 
or the exhibition, to a quiet evening passed at her house with 
no other guests. But take care to let her know as early as pos- 
sible. And be careful not to disappoint her again in a similar 
manner. 

Obligations to Gentlemen. — In her intercourse with gentle- 
men a lady should take care to avoid all pecuniary obligation. 
The civility which a gentleman conventionally owes to a lady 
is a sufficient tax — more she has no right to expect or accept. 
A man of good sense and of true politeness will not be offended 
at her unwillingness to become his debtor. On the contrary, 
he will respect her delicacy and approve her dignity, and con- 
sent at once to her becoming her own banker on all occasions 
where expense is to be incurred. 

When invited to join a party to a place of amusement, let 
her consent, if she wishes; but let her state expressly that it is 
only on condition of being permitted to pay for her own ticket. 
If she steadily adheres to this custom it will soon be under- 
stood that such is always her commendable practice; and she 
can then, with perfect propriety, at any time, ask for a seat 
among friends who intend going. To this accommodation she 
could not invite herself if in the continual habit of visiting pub- 



30 ETIQUETTE. 

lie places at the expense of others. The best time for a lady 
to pay for herself is to put her money into the hand of the gen- 
tleman previous to their departure for the place of performance. 
He will not be so rude as to refuse it. If he does refuse, she 
should evince her resentment by going with him no more. 

We disapprove of ladies going to charity fairs in the even- 
ing, when they require a male escort, and when that escort is 
likely to be drawn into paying exorbitant prices for gifts to his 
fair companion — particularly if induced to do so from the fear 
of appearing mean or of being thought wanting in benevolence. 
In the evening the young ladies who "have tables" are apt to 
become especially importunate in urging the sale of their 
goods, and appear to great disadvantage as amateur shop-keep- 
ers, exhibiting a boldness in teasing that no real shop-woman 
would presume to display. Then the crowd is generally great; 
the squeezing and pushing very uncomfortable; and most of 
the company far from genteel. Ladies who are ladies should 
only visit fancy fairs in the day time, when they can go with- 
out gentlemen, none of whom take much pleasure in this mode 
of raising money, or rather of levying contributions for special 
purposes. 

If you have occasion to send by a gentleman a parcel to a 
carrier's or railway office give him, along with it, the money to 
pay for its carriage. If you borrow change, return it to him 
punctually. He ought to take it as a thing of course, without 
any comment. When you commission him to buy anything 
for you, if you know the price, give him the money before- 
hand; otherwise, pay it as soon as he brings the article. 

When visiting a fancy shop with a gentleman, refrain from 
excessively admiring any handsome or expensive article you 
may chance to see there; above all, express no wish that you 
were able to buy it, and to regret that you cannot, lest he 
should construe these extreme tokens of admiration into hints 
that you wish him to buy it for you. To allow him to do so 
would, on your part, be very mean and indelicate, and on his 
very foolish. 

It ought to be a very painful office for young ladies to go 
round soliciting from gentlemen subscriptions for charitable 
purposes. Still it is done. Subscription papers should only 



ETIQUETTE. 31 

be offered by persons somewhat advanced in life and of un- 
doubted respectability; and then the application should be made 
exclusively to those whose circumstances are known to be 
affluent. When you ask money for a charitable purpose, do 
so only when quite alone with the person to whom you apply. 
It is taking an undue advantage to make the request in the 
presence of others, particularly if there is not wealth as well 
as benevolence. There is a time for all things, and young 
ladies are deservedly unpopular when, even in the cause of 
charity, they seize every opportunity to levy contributions on 
the purses of gentlemen. 

It is wrong to trouble gentlemen with commissions that 
may cause them inconvenience and expense. We repeat that 
a lady cannot be too particular in placing herself under obliga- 
tions to a gentleman. She should scrupulously avoid it in 
every little thing that may involve him in expense on her ac- 
count; and he will respect her the more. 

Presents. — Having accepted a present, it is your duty, and 
ought to be your pleasure, to let the giver see that you make 
use of it, as intended, and that it is not thrown away upon you. 
If it is an article of dress or of personal decoration, take occa- 
sion, on the first suitable opportunity, to wear it in presence of 
the giver. If an ornament for the centre table or the mantel- 
piece, place it there. If a book, do not delay reading it. After- 
wards, speak of it to her as favorably as you can. If of fruit 
or flowers, refer to them the next time you see her. 

In all cases when a gift is sent to you return a note of 
thanks, or at least a verbal message to that effect. 

Never inquire of the giver what was the price of her gift, 
or where she bought it. To do so is considered extremely 
rude. 

When an article is presented to you for a specified purpose, 
it is your duty to use it for that purpose and for no other, ac- 
cording to the wish of the donor. It is mean and dishonorable 
to give away a present — at least without obtaining permission 
from the original giver. You have no right to be liberal and 
generous at the expense of another, or to accept a gift with a 
secret determination to bestow it yourself on somebody else. 
If it is an article that you do not want — that you possess al' 



39 ETIQUETTE. 

re«tdy, or that you cannot use for yourself, it is best to say so 
candidly, at once expressing your thanks for the offer, and re- 
questing your friend to keep it for some other person to whom 
it will be advantageous. 

It is fit that the purchaser of the gift should have the pleas- 
ure of doing a kindness with her own hand, and eliciting the 
gratitude of one whom she knows herself. 

Making a valuable present to a rich person is, in most cases, 
a work of supererogation, unless the gift is of . something rare 
or unique, which cannot be purchased, and which may be seen 
and used to more advantage at the house of your friend than 
while in your possession. But to give an expensive article of 
dress, jewelery, or furniture, to one whose means of buying 
such things are quite equal (if not superior) to your own, is an 
absurdity, though not a very uncommon one, as society is 
now constituted. 

There are persons who, believing that presents are generally 
made with some mercenary view, and being unwilling them-- 
selves to receive favors or incur obligations, make a point of 
repaying them as soon as possible by a gift of something equi- 
valent. This at once implies that they suspect the motive. If 
sincere in her friendship, the donor of the first present will feel 
hurt at being directly paid for it, and consider that she has 
been treated rudely and unjustly. On the other hand, if com- 
pensation was secretly desired and really expected, she will be 
disappointed at receiving nothing in return. Therefore, among 
persons who can conveniently provide themselves with what- 
ever they may desire, the bestowal of presents is generally a 
most unthankful business. If you are in opulent circumstances 
it is best to limit your generosity to such friends only as do not 
abound in the gifts of fortune, and whose situation denies 
them the means of indulging their tastes. By them such acts 
of kindness will be duly appreciated and gratefully remem- 
bered; and the article presented will have a double value if it 
is to them a novelty. 

When a young lady of fortune is going to be married her 
friends are all expected to present her with bridal gifts. It is 
a custom that sometimes bears heavily on those whose con- 
dition allows them but little to spare., A»4 from that little it 



ETIQUETTE. 33 

may be very hard for them to squeeze out enough to purchase 
some superfluous ornament, or some article for a centre table, 
when it is already covered with the gifts of the wealthy — gifts 
lavished on one who is really in no need of such things, and 
whose marriage confers no benefit on any one but herself. 

When the young couple have not an abundance of the 
"goods of this world," the case is different; and it may then be 
an act of real kindness for the opulent friends of the bride to 
present her with any handsome article of dress or of furniture 
that they think will be acceptable. What we contend is, that 
on the occasion of a marriage in a wealthy family the making 
of presents should be confined to the immediate relatives of 
the lady, and only to such of them as can well afford it. 

At christenings it is, fortunately, the sponsors only that are 
expected to make gifts to the infant. 

The presentation of Christmas and New. Year's gifts is 
often a severe tax on persons with whom money is not plenty. 
It would be well if it were the universal custom to expect and 
receive no presents from any but the rich. 

In making gifts to children choose for them only such things 
as will afford them somewhat of lasting amusement. For boys, 
kites, tops, balls, marbles, wheelbarrows, carts, gardening uten- 
sils, and carpenters' tools, &c. 

Young ladies should be careful how they accept presents 
from gentlemen. No truly modest and dignified woman will 
incur such obligations. And no gentleman who really respects 
her will offer her anything more than a bouquet, a book, one or 
two autographs of distinguished persons, or a few relics or 
mementoes of memorable places — things that derive their chief 
value from associations. But to present a young lady with 
articles of jewelry, or of dress, or with a costly ornament, ought 
to be regarded as an offence rather than a compliment, excusa- 
ble only in a man sadly ignorant of the refinements of society. 
And if he is so, she should set him right, and civilly, but firmly, 
refuse to be his debtor. 

In presenting a dress to a friend whose circumstances are 
not so good as your own, and who you know will gladly re- 
ceive it, select one of excellent quality, and of a color that you 
think she will like. She will feel mortified if you give her one 
that is low-priced, flimsy, and of an unbecoming tint. 
8 



34 ETIQUETTE. 

When you give a dress to a poor woman it is far better to 
buy for her a substantial new one than to bestow on her an old 
thin dress of your own. The poor have little time to sew for 
themselves, and second-hand fine clothes last them but a very 
short time before they are fit only for the rag-bag. 

Dressing for Hotel Dinners. — In dressing for a hotel din- 
ner it is not in good taste to adopt a full evening costume, and 
to appear as if attired for a ball; for instance, with a colored 
velvet robe, or one of a splendid brocade, or a transparent 
gauze material over a satin, or with short sleeves and bare neck 
in cold weather, or with flowers or jewels in the hair. Such cos- 
tumes should be reserved for evening parties. If worn at the 
table d'hote, it may be suspected that you have no other place 
in which to display them. Your dress need not be more showy 
than you would wear when dining at a private house. There is 
no place where dress escapes with less scrutiny than at a hotel. 
Still it is in bad taste to go to the dinner table in ungenteel and 
unbecoming habiliments, such as a figured or party-colored 
mousseline-de-Zaine, a thing which has always the effect of cal- 
ico, and like calico gives an unladylike look even to the most 
decided lady. 

A profusion of jewelry at a public table is in very bad 
taste, particularly if the jewelry is palpably false; for instance, 
a brooch with mock diamonds, or a string of wax beads, 
meant for pearls, or glass things imitating topazes or garnets. 
A large imitation gem always betrays its real quality by its 
size. 

Endeavor to make your arrangements so as to be dressed 
for dinner, and seated in the ladies' drawing-room about ten or 
fifteen minutes before the dining hour, that you may be ready 
to go in with the rest of the company. 

In seating yourself, look down for a moment to see if you 
have placed the foot of your chair on the dress of the lady 
sitting next to you; and, if you have done so, remove it 
instantly, that her dress may not be torn when she attempts 
to rise. 

Sit close to the table, but never lean your elbows upon it. 
To sit far from it and reach forward is very awkward. Having 
unfolded your napkin, secure it to your waist by a pin to pre- 



ETIQUETTE. 35 

vent its slipping down and falling under the table. This may- 
be done so that the pinning will not be perceptible. 

Refrain from loud talking or loud laughing. Young ladies 
are never conspicuously noisy at a dinner table or anywhere 
else. Still more carefully refrain from whispering or ex- 
changing significant glances. Whispers are always overheard, 
and glances are always observed. 

In the best society, fish is now usually eaten with a silver 
fish knife and fork. The method of eating it by the aid of a 
piece of bread held in the left hand, while the fork is kept in 
the right, is now fast becoming obsolete. Servants and all 
other persons should be taught that butter-sauce should not 
be poured over the fish, but put on one side of the plate, that 
the eater may use it profusely or sparingly, according to taste, 
and be enabled to mix it conveniently with the sauce from the 
fish-castors. 

Do not attempt removing a cover from the dish that you 
may help yourself before the rest of the company. Leave all 
that to the waiters; tell them what you want in a distinct but 
not in a loud, conspicuous voice. Where servants are numer- 
ous, they should always go by their surnames, which will pre- 
vent the confusion arising from half a dozen Johns or as many 
Williams. 

If the waiters are attentive, and in sufficient number, you 
will have, at a good hotel, little or no occasion to help your- 
self to anything. Do not under any circumstances reach across 
the table, or rise on your feet to get at any particular dish you 
may want. Trouble no one of the company; but wait till you 
see a servant at hand. If in turning to speak to a waiter you 
find him in the act of serving some one else, say, "When you 

are at leisure I will thank you for some ." It is selfish to 

be continually sending out of the room the man who waits near 
you for the purpose of bringing extra things for yourself; try 
to be satisfied with what you find on the table, and recollect 
that you are depriving others of his services while you are send- 
ing him back and forward on errands to the kitchen. 

Many persons hold silver forks awkardly as if not accus- 
tomed to them. It is fashionable to use your knife only while 
cutting up the food small enough to be eaten with the fork 



36 ETIQUETTE. 

alone. While cutting keep your fork in your left hand, the 
hollow or concave side downward, the fork in a very slanting 
position, and your forefinger far down upon its handle. When 
you have done cutting up what you are going to eat, lay aside 
your knife, transfer the fork to your right hand, and take a 
small piece of bread in your left. If eating anything soft, use 
your silver fork somewhat as a spoon, turning up the hollow 
side that the cavity may hold the food. If engaged in talking, 
do not meanwhile hold your fork bold upright, but incline it 
downward, so as to be nearly on a level with your plate. Re- 
member always to keep your own knife, fork, and spoon out 
of the dishes. It is an insult to the company, and a disgrace 
to yourself to dip into a dish anything that has been, even for 
a moment, in your mouth. To take butter and salt with your 
own knife is an abomination. 

Sometimes these errors are committed out of pure abstrac- 
tion, and by people who have been accustomed all their lives 
to good society. We once dined with a professor who actually 
ate a delicious-looking beef steak pie out of the very dish in 
which it was brought to table, and was so engaged in giving 
utterance to his profound learning that he never noticed that 
he had been guilty of the least impropriety. Fortunately for 
the company, we remember, there was a fine shoulder of mut- 
ton at the other end of the table; so the professor had the pie 
all to himself. But fits of abstraction are no excuse. Good 
habits should be so formed, and should so become part of our 
nature, that we follow them even when the mind is engrossed 
with other, and it may be more important, affairs. 

In eating bread at dinner break off little bits, instead of 
putting the whole piece in your mouth and biting at it. 

No lady looks worse than when gnawing a bone, even of 
game or poultry. Few ladies do it. In fact, nothing should 
be sucked or gnawe-d in public. Always pare apples and 
peaches, and crack no nuts with the teeth. In eating cherries, 
put your half-closed hand before your mouth to receive the 
stones; then lay them on one side of your plate. 

Do not eat incongruous and unsuitable things from the 
same plate, telling the waiter that "he need n «t change it, as it 
will do very well." 



ETIQUETTE. 37 

If a lady wish to eat lobster, let her request the waiter that 
attends her, to extract a portion of it from the shell, and bring 
it to her on a clean plate, also to place a castor near her. Nov- 
ices in lobster sometimes eat it simply with salt, or with vinegar 
only, or with black pepper. To prepare it according to the 
the usual custom — cut up, very small, the pieces of lobster, 
and on another plate make the dressing. First, mash together 
some hard-boiled yoke of egg, and some of the red coral of 
the lobster, with a little salt and cayenne. Mix in, with a fork, 
mustard to your taste, and then a liberal allowance of salad oil, 
finishing with vinegar. Transfer the bits of lobster to the plate 
that has the dressing, and combine the whole with a fork. 
Lettuce salad is dressed in the same manner. 

At a public table a lady should never volunteer to dress salad 
for others of the company. Neither should she cut up a pie 
and help it round. These things ought only to be done by a 
gentleman, or a servant. 

If a gentleman with whom you are acquainted has dressed 
a salad, and offers the plate to you, take what you want, and 
immediately return to him the remainder, and do not pass it 
on to persons in your vicinity. It is his privilege and not yours 
to offer it to others, as he has had the trouble of dressing it. 
And it is just that he should have a portion of it for himself, 
which will not be the case if you officiously hand it about to 
people around you. 

It was formerly considered ill-bred to refuse to take wine 
with a gentleman. Now it is no longer an offence to decline 
these invitations. If you have no conscientious scruples, and 
if you are acquainted with the gentleman, or have been intro- 
duced to him, you may comply with his civility; and when both 
glasses are filled, look at him, bow your head, and taste the 
wine. 

If a stranger, whom you do not know, and to whom you 
have had no introduction, takes the liberty of asking you to 
drink wine with him, refuse at once, positively and coldly, to 
prove that you consider it an unwarrantable freedom. And so 
it is. 

If you are helped to anything whose appearance you do not 
like, or in which you are disappointed, when you taste it, you, 



38 ETIQUETTE. 

of course, at a hotel table, are not obliged to eat it. Merely 
leave it on your plate, without audibly giving the reason, and 
then, in a low voice, desire the waiter to bring you something 
else. It is well, while at table, to avoid any discussion of the 
demerits of the dishes. On the other hand, you may praise 
them as much as you please. 

In refusing to be helped to any particular thing, never give 
as a reason that, " You are afraid of it," or "that it will disagree 
with you." It is sufficient simply to refuse, and then no one 
has a right to ask why. While at table all allusions to dyspep- 
sia, indigestion, or any other disorders of the stomach, are vul- 
gar and disgusting. The word stomach should never be uttered 
at any table, or, indeed, anywhere else, except to your physi- 
cian,or in a private conversation with a female friend interested 
in your health. It is a disagreeable word (and so are all its 
associations) and should never be mentioned in public to "ears 
polite." Also make no remark on what is eaten by persons 
near you (except they are children and under your care), such 
as its being unwholesome, indigestible, feverish, or in any way 
improper. It is no business of yp-urs, and, besides, you are not 
to judge of others by yourself. ( When the finger-glasses are 
s^nt round, dip a clean corner of the napkin into the water, 
and wet round your lips with it, but omit the singular foreign 
fashion of taking water into your mouth, rinsing and gurgling 
it round and then spitting it back into the glass. Wait till you 
can give your mouth a regular and efficient washing up-stairs. 
Dip your fingers into the glass, rub them with the slice of lemon 
that may be floating on the surface, and then wipe them on the 
napkin. 

At hotels the interval between dinner and tea is usually 
short; the tea hour being early that the guests may have 
ample time to prepare for going to places of amusement. 
Yet there are ladies who, though spending all the evening at 
home, will remain sitting idly in the parlor till eight o'clock, 
keeping the table standing and servants waiting in attendance. 
This is very inconsiderate. The servants certainly require 
••■est, and should be exempt from all unnecessary attendance. 

On the subject of rest for hotel servants good feeling sug- 
gests that we should say a few words. No one who has had 



ETIQUETTE. 39 

much experience of hotel life can have failed to notice the 
wearied look which the domestics in these large establishments 
too often wear. To the visitor fresh from seeing every day the 
blythe faces of country folk, their jaded look invariably sug- 
gests that they would be all the better for going off to bed and 
sleeping for a week. We should do everything in our power 
to lessen their labors by refraining from making unreasonable 
demands on their time. Consideration for others is the first 
mark of the lady, and the fact that a woman observes all the 
mere forms of etiquette will never convince us that she is one 
of the true nobility so long as we can see that she has no con- 
sideration for the rest of those to whom fortune has granted 
but little repose. 

In making acquaintance with a stranger at a hotel, there is 
no impropriety (but quite the contrary) in inquiring of her 
from what place she comes. In introducing yourself give 
your name audibly, or, what is better, if you have a card with 
you, present that, and she should do the same in return. 
Before you enter into conversation on any subject connected 
with religion it will be well to ask her to what church she be- 
longs. This knowledge will guard you from indulging inad- 
vertently in sectarian remarks that may be displeasing to her, 
besides producing a controversy which may be carried too far. 

When you give a gratuity to a servant — for instance, to the 
man who waits on you at table, or he that attends your room, 
or to the chambermaid or messenger — give it at no regular 
time, but whenever you think proper or find it convenient. It 
is injudicious to allow them to suppose that they are to do you 
no particular service without being immediately paid for it. It 
is, at the same time, right and customary to pay them extra for 
carrying your baggage up and down stairs when you are de- 
parting from the house or returning to it. If you are a perma- 
nent boarder, and, from ill health, require extra attendance, it 
is well to give a certain sum monthly to each of the servants 
who wait upon you, and then they will not expect anything 
more except on extraordinary occasions. 

All persons who go to hotels are not able to lavish large 
and frequent gratuities on the servants. But all, for the price 
they pay to the proprietor, are entitled to an ample share of 
attention from the domestics. 



40 ETIQUETTE. 

In all hotels it is against the rule to take out of the ladies' 
drawing-room any books that may be placed there for the gen- 
eral convenience of the company, such as dictionaries, guide- 
books, directories, magazines, &c. If you borrow a file of 
newspapers from the reading room, get done with it as 
soon as you can, lest it should be wanted by others, and as 
soon as you have finished ring for a servant to carry the file 
back. 

Correspondence. — Much time is wasted, particularly by 
young ladies, in writing and answering such epistles as are 
termed "letters of friendship" — meaning long documents filled 
with regrets at absence, asseverations of affection, modest de- 
precations of self, and flattering references to the correspon- 
dent, or else anticipations of what may be coming and lamen- 
tations of what may be past, which are of no manner of use but 
to foster a sickly, morbid feeling, to encourage nonsense, and 
destroy a relish for such true friendship as is good and whole- 
some. 

A still worse species of voluminous female correspondency 
is that which turns entirely on love, or rather on what are 
called "beaux," or entirely on hate — for instance, hatred of 
stepmothers. This topic is considered the more piquant from 
its impropriety, and from its being carried on in secret. 

Then there are young ladies born with the organ of letter- 
writing amazingly developed and increased by habitual prac- 
tice, who can scarcely become acquainted with a gentleman 
possessing brains, without volunteering a correspondence with 
him. And then ensues a long epistolary dialogue abou$ 
nothing, or, at least, nothing worth reading or remembering; 
trenching closely on gallantry, but still not quite that; affected 
simplicity on the part of the lady, and an unaffected imperti- 
nence on that of the gentleman, alternating with pretended 
poutings on her side and half or whole laughing apologies on 
his. Sometimes there are attempts at moralizing or criticizing, 
or sentimentalizing — but nothing is ever elicited that, to a third 
person, can afford the least amusement or improvement, or ex- 
cite the least interest. 

No young lady ever engages in a correspondence with a 
gentleman who is neither her relative nor her betrothed with- 



ETIQUETTE. 41 

out eventually lessening herself in his eyes. Of this she may 
rest assured. With some men it is even dangerous for a lady 
to write a note on the commonest subject. He may show the 
superscription or the signature, or both, to his idle friends, and 
make insinuations much to her disadvantage, which his com- 
rades will be sure to circulate and exaggerate. 

Above all, let no lady correspond with a married man, un- 
less she is obliged to consult him on business, and from that 
plain, straightforward path let her not diverge. Even if the 
wife sees and reads every letter, she will, in all probability, feel 
a touch of jealousy (or more than a touch) if she finds that 
they excite interest in her husband or give him pleasure. This 
will inevitably be the case if the married lady is inferior in in- 
tellect to the single one, and has a lurking consciousness that 
she is so. 

Having hinted what the correspondence of young ladies 
ought not to be, we will try to convey some idea of what it 
ought. Let us premise that there is no danger of any errors 
in grammar or spelling, and but few faults of punctuation, and 
that the fair writers are aware that a sentence should always 
conclude with a period, or full stop, to be followed by a capi- 
tal letter beginning the next sentence, and that a new para- 
graph should be allotted to every change of subject, provided 
that there is room on the sheet of paper. And still it is well 
to have always at hand a dictionary and a grammar, in case of 
unaccountable lapses of memory. However, persons who have 
read much, and read to advantage, generally find themselves at 
noiloss in orthography, grammar, and punctuation. To spell 
badly is disgraceful to a lady or gentleman, and it looks as if 
they had finished reading as soon as they left school. 

The wording of your letter should be as much like conver- 
sation as possible, containing, in a. condensed form, just what 
you would be most likely to talk about if you saw your friend. 
A letter is of no use unless it conveys some information, excites 
some interest, or affords some improvement. It may be hand- 
somely written, correct in spelling, punctuation, and grammar, 
and yet stiff and formal in style — affectedly didactic, and, there- 
fore tiresome, or mawkishly sentimental, and, therefore, foolish. 
It may be refined and high-flown in words, but flat and barren 



42 ETIQUETTE. 

in ideas, containing nothing that a correspondent cares to 
know. 

Inexperienced letter writers often feel provoked with them- 
selves when they have filled a sheet without touching upon 
some topics that they fully intended to introduce, and perceive 
they have spread out one of inferior importance over half their 
paper. This may be avoided by considering before you begin 
all that you wish to write about, and allowing to each topic its 
proper space. - 

If your correspondent requires that her letters be kept 
private from all friends, make it a point of honor to comply 
with her wishes, only make an exception in favor of your 
mother, in case she should desire to see the correspondence, 
for young ladies shold gracefully acknowledge their parents' 
right of inspection; though, where there is a proper confidence 
on both sides, it will rarely be enforced. 

The more rational and elevating the topics are on which 
you write, the less will you care for your letters being seen, or 
for paragraphs being read out of them, and where there is no 
need of any secrecy it is best not to bind your friend by 
promises, but to leave it to her discretion. 

Do not feel bound to write to every one who begs you to do 
so, but choose carefully whom you will have in that relation, 
and when you have a few choice correspondents do not neg- 
lect them, and begin every letter with an apology, but write in 
due season, and waste no paper on commonplace excuses. 

Madame de Sevigne praises her daughter for her attention 
to dates, which, she says, shows an interest in the correspon- 
dence; a dateless letter certainly loses much of its value, and 
they are but too common. 

Remember the liability of a letter to miscarry, to be opened 
by the wrong person, to be seen by other eyes than those for 
whom it is meant, and be very careful what you write to the 
disadvantage of any one. Praise and admire, but beware of 
blame. Your judgment may be wrong, and you know not 
when or where it may come up against you and make you 
sorry you ever penned it. 

As you finish each page of your letter read it over to see 
that there are no errors. If you find any, correct them care- 



ETIQUETTE. 43 

fully. In writing a familiar letter, a very common fault is tauto- 
logy, or a too frequent repetition of the same word — for in- 
stance, "Yesterday I received a letter from my sister Mary, 
which was the first letter I have received from my sister since 
she left." The sentence should be, "Yesterday I received a 
letter from my sister Mary, the first since she left us." 

Unless you are writing to one of your own family, put 
always the pronoun "my" before the words "sister," "father," 
"mother," and not without it, as if they were also the relatives 
of your correspondent. 

. To end a sentence with the word "left" (for departed) is 
awkward and unsatisfactory — for instance, "It is two days since 
he left." Left what? It is one of the absurd innovations that 
have crept in among us of late years, and are supposed to be 
fashionable. 

Avoid in writing, as in talking, all words that do not ex- 
press the true meaning. Unless you know that your corres- 
pondent is well versed in French, refrain from interlarding 
your letters with Gallic words or phrases. 

Do not introduce long quotations from poetry. Three or 
four lines of verse are sufficient; one line or two are better 
still. Write them rather smaller than your usual hand, and 
leave a space at the beginning and end, marking their com- 
mencement and termination with inverted commas, thus " ". 

Unless to persons living In the same house, do not enclose 
one letter to another. And even then it is not always safe to 
do so. Let each letter be transmitted on its own account by 
mail, with its own full direction and its own postage stamp. 
Confide to no one the delivery of an important letter intended 
for another person. 

To break the seal of a letter directed to another person is 
punishable by law. To read secretly the letter of another is 
morally as felonious. A woman who would act thus meanly 
is worse than those who apply their eyes or ears to key-holes 
or door cracks, or who listen under windows, or who, in a 
dusky parlor, before the lamps are lighted, ensconce them- 
selves in a corner, and give no note of their presence while 
listening to a conversation not intended for them to hear. 

We do not conceive that, unless he authorizes her to do so 



44 ETIQUETTE. 

(which he had best not), a wife has a right to open her hus- 
band's letters, or he to read hers. Neither wife nor husband 
has any right to entrust to the other the secrets of their friends; 
and letters may contain such secrets. Unless under extraor- 
dinary circumstances, parents should not consider themselves 
privileged to inspect the correspondence of grown-up chil- 
dren. Brothers and sisters always take care that their epistles 
shall not be unceremoniously opened by each other. In short, 
a letter is the property of the person to whom it is addressed, 
and nobody has a right to read it without permission. If you 
are shown an autograph signature at the bottom of a letter, be 
satisfied to look at that only, and do not open out and read the 
whole, unless desired. 

The letters of a regular correspondent should be endorsed 
and filed as regularly by young ladies as by merchants; this 
facilitates your reference to any one of them, prevents their 
being lost or mislaid, or exposed to curious eyes, saves your 
table from being strewn, and your letter-case from being 
crowded with them. 

The letters of past years should either be destroyed or care- 
fully locked up, with directions on the box that in case of your 
death they are to be returned unread to the writers, or if that 
cannot be done, that they should be burnt unread. This dis- 
posal of letters after death is often the only important part 
of a young girl's last wishes, and yet it is rarely provided for. 
It is best to be always so prepared by making the necessary 
arrangements whilst in health. 

The letters of very young persons rarely have any interest 
beyond the period in which they are written; they are very 
seldom read after they are a year old; and the idea of keeping 
them for future perusal is altogether chimerical. Life is too 
much crowded with novel interests to allow time for reading 
over quires of paper filled with the chat of young girls, how- 
ever good it may have been in its day; and, therefore, the 
wisest plan is to agree with your correspondent to make each 
a bonfire of the other's letters when they shall be more than 
a year old. A year's letters are enough for a memorial of your 
friend, if she be taken from you; and by keeping the latest you 
will have her most mature compositions. 



ETIQUETTE. 45 

Notes of invitation should always designate both the day of 
the week and that of the month. If that of the month only is 
specified, one figure may, perhaps, be mistaken for another; 
for instance, the 13th may look like the 18th, or the 25th like 
the 26th. We know instances where, from this cause, some of 
the guests did not come till the day after the party. 

There are some very sensible people who, in their invita- 
tions, tell frankly what is to be expected, and if they really ask 
but a few friends, they at once give the names of those friends, 
so that you may know who you are to see. If you are to meet 
no more than can sit around the tea table, they signify the 
same. If they expect twenty, thirty, or forty persons they say 
so, and do not leave you in doubt whether to dress for some- 
thing very like a party, or for a mere family tea-drinking. 

If it is a decided music party, by all means specify the same, 
that those who have no enjoyment of what is considered 
fashionable music, may stay away. 

Always reply to a note of invitation the day after you have 
received it. To a note on business send an answer the same 
day. After accepting an invitation, should any thing occur 
to prevent your going, send a second note in due time. 

Do not take offence at a friend because she does not invite 
you every time she has company. Her regard for you may be 
as warm as ever, but it is probably inconvenient for her to 
have more than a certain number at a time. Believe that the 
omission is no evidence of neglect, or of a desire to offend you; 
but rest assured that you are to be invited on other occasions. 
If you are not, then indeed you may take it as a hint that she 
is no longer desirous of continuing the acquaintance. Be dig- 
nified enough not to call her to account; but cease visiting her 
without taking her to task and bringing on a quarrel. But if you 
must quarrel let it not be in writing. A paper war is always 
carried too far, and produces bitterness of feeling* which is sel- 
dom, if ever, entirely eradicated, even after apologies have 
been made and accepted. Still, when an offence has been 
given in writing, the atonement should be made in writing also. 

Avoid giving letters of introduction to people whose ac- 
quaintance cannot possibly afford any pleasure or advantage to 
those whose civilities are desired for them, or who have not 



46 ETIQUETTE. 

leisure to attend to strangers. Professional people, to whom 
"time is money," and whose income stops whenever their hands 
and eyes are unemployed, are peculiarly annoyed by the fre- 
quency of introductory letters brought by people with whom 
they can feel no congeniality, and whom they never would 
have sought. Many men of worth are not in a situation to 
entertain strangers handsomely, which means expensively. 
They may be in straightened circumstances through a thou- 
sand causes, and, therefore, unable to bear incessant demands 
on their time, attention, and purse. And in numerous instances 
letters are asked and given with no better motive than the grat- 
ification of idle curiosity. 

Bores are particularly addicted to asking letters of intro- 
duction in accordance with their system of bestowing their 
tediousness upon as many people as possible. The kind friends 
from whom these missives are required are to be pitied, as 
they appear to have not the courage to refuse, or address 
enough to excuse themselves plausibly from complying. 

In obtaining an introductory letter to a public favorite, say 
to a painter, for instance, ascertain before presenting it what 
branch of the art he professes. Also, no one should presume 
to request an introduction to an authoress if they are ignorant 
whether she writes prose or verse. Not that they are expected 
to talk to her immediately on literary subjects. Far from it. 
But if they know nothing of her works they deserve no letter. 
Letters of introduction should not be sealed. To do so is 
rude and mean. If you wish to write on the same day to the 
same person, take another sheet, write as long an epistle as you 
please, seal it, and send it by mail. 

It is best to deliver an introductory letter in person, as the 
lady or gentleman whose civilities have been requested in your 
behalf may thus be spared the trouble of calling at your lodg- 
ings, with the risk of not finding you at home. This is very 
likely to happen if you send instead of taking the letter your- 
self. If you do send it, enclose a card with your address upon 
it. 

On farewell cards it is usual to write with a pencil the let- 
ters "T. T. L.," "to take leave;" or P. P. C," "pour prendre 
conge;" or "P. D. A.," pour dire adieu" "to bid adieu." In 



ETIQUETTE. 47 

writing upon business exclusively your own, for instance, to 
make a request, to ask for information, to petition for a favor, 
or to solicit an autograph, it it but right not only to pay the 
postage on your own letter, but to enclose a stamp for the an- 
swer. This is always done by really polite and considerate 
people. You have no right, when the benefit is entirely your 
own, to cause any extra expense to the receiver of the letter 
not even the cost of the postage back again. 

Courtship. — By the custom of society, man has been awarded 
the privilege of making the first advance towards matrimony, 
it is the safest and happiest way for woman to leave the mat- 
ter entirely in his hands. She should be so educated as to 
consider that the great end of existence may be equally at- 
tained in married or single life; and that no union but the 
most perfect one is at all desirable. Matrimony should be 
considered as an incident in life, which, if. it comes at all, must 
come without any contrivance of yours; and, therefore, you 
may safely put aside all thoughts of it till some one forces the 
subject upon your notice by professions of a particular in- 
terest in you. 

Lively, ingenious, conversable, charming girls often spoil 
into dull, bashful, silent young ladies, and all because their 
heads are full of nonsense about beaux and lovers. They 
have a thousand thoughts and feelings which they would be 
ashamed to confess, though not ashamed to entertain; and 
their preoccupation with a subject which they had better let 
entirely alone prevents their being the agreeable and rational 
companions of the gentlemen of their acquaintance, which they 
were designed to be. 

Women are happily endowed with a sense of propriety and 
a natural modesty which will generally guide them aright in 
their intercourse with the other sex, and the more perfectly 
well-bred and discreet you are in your intercourse with female 
friends, the easier it will be for you to acquit yourself, well 
with your male ones. 

As soon as young ladies go into general society, they are 
liable to receive attentions that indicate a particular regard, and 
long before they are really old enough to form any such ties, 
often receive matrimonial overtures; it is, therefore, highb 
necessary to know how to treat them. 



\ 



48 ETIQUETTE. 

The offer of a man's heart and hand is the greatest compli- 
ment he can pay you, and, however undesirable to you those 
gifts may be, they should be courteously and kindly declined; 
and since a refusal is, to most men, not only a disappointment, 
but a mortification, it should always he prevented, if possible. 
Men have various ways of cherishing and declaring their at- 
tachment; those who indicate the basis of their feelings in 
many intelligible ways can generally be spared the pain of a 
refusal. If you do not mean to accept a gentleman who is 
paying you very marked attentions you should avoid receiving 
him whenever you can. You should not allow him to escort 
you; you should show your displeasure when joked about him; 
and, if sounded by a mutual friend, let your want of reciprocal 
feelings be very apparent. 

You may, however, be taken entirely by surprise, because 
there are men who are so secret in these matters that they do 
not even let the object of their affections suspect their prefer- 
ence until they suddenly declare themselves lovers and suitors. 
In such a case you will need all your presence of mind, or the 
hesitation produced by surprise may give rise to false hopes. 
If you have any doubt upon the matter, you may fairly ask 
time to consider of it, on the grounds of your never having 
thought of the gentleman in the light of a lover; but if you 
are resolved against the suit, endeavor to make your answer so 
decided as to finish the affair at once. Inexperienced girls 
sometimes feel so much the pain they are inflicting that they 
use phrases which feed a lover's hopes; but this is mistaken 
tenderness; your answer should be as decided as it is court- 
eous. 

Whenever an offer is made in writing, you should reply to 
it as soon as possible; and, having in this case none of the 
embarrassment of a personal interview, you can make such a 
careful selection of words as will best convey your meaning. 
If the person is estimable you should express your sense of 
his merit and your gratitude for his preference in strong terms; 
and put your refusal of his hand on the score of your not feel- 
ing for him that peculiar preference necessary to the union he 
seeks. This makes a refusal as little painful as possible, and 
soothes the feelings you are obliged to wound. The gentle- 



ETIQUETTE. 49 

man's letter ohodld be returned in your reply, and your lips 
should be closed upon the subject for ever afterwards. It is 
his secret, and you have no right to tell it to any one; but if 
your parents are your confidential friends, on all other occa- 
sions, he will not blame you for telling them. 

Your young female friends should never be allowed to tease 
or banter you into the betrayal of this secret. You cannot turn 
your ingenuity to better account than by using it to baffle their 
curiosity. Some girls are tempted to tell of an offer and refu- 
sal in order to account for a cessation of those attentions 
on the part of the gentleman which have before been so con- 
stant and marked as to be observed by their friends. But this 
is not a sufficient reason for telling another person's secret. 
You cannot always prevent a suspicion of the truth, but you 
should never confirm it by any disclosure of yours. 

If you are so situated as to meet the gentleman whose hand 
you have refused, you should do so with frank cordiality, and 
put him at ease by behaving as if nothing particular had passed 
between you. If this manner of yours is so far mistaken as to 
lead to a renewal of the offer, let him see as soon as possible 
that he has nothing to hope from importunity, and that if he 
would preserve your friendship he must seek for nothing more. 
Always endeavor to make true friends of your rejected lovers 
by the delicacy and honor with which you treat them. If, 
when your own conduct has been unexceptionable, your refu- 
sal to marry a man produces resentment, it argues some fault 
of character in him, and can only be lamented in silence. 
«* Never think the less of a man because he has been refused, 
even if it be by a lady whom you do not value highly. It is 
nothing to his disadvantage. In exercising their privilege of 
making the first advances, the wisest will occasionally make 
great mistakes, and the best will often be drawn into an affair 
of this sort against their better judgment, and both are but too 
happy if they escape with only the pain of being refused. So 
far from, its being any reason for not accepting a good and 
wise. man" when he offers himself to you, it should only increase 
your, thankfulness to the Power which reserved him for you, 
and to. the lady through whose instrumentality he is still U<% 
tdchQoge, 



50 ETIQUETTE. 

Bridal Etiquette. — Assuming that the important day is 
fixed, and that the bidden guests have accepted the invitation, 
the grand preoccupation of the female part of the lady's family 
is to prepare the bridal outfit or trousseau, which must be in 
accordance with the circumstances of the bride's family. Nev- 
ertheless, as it is an expense that few mothers grudge, they 
generally take an affectionate pride in rendering the outfit as 
complete as possible. We have heard of outfits in the class of 
wealthy merchants comprising twelve dozen chemises, trimmed 
with lace, a large assortment of slips, trimmed with embroidered 
bands, others plainer for morning use, an endless abundance 
of elegant night-caps, and countless pairs of stockings, from 
the silk hose and the gossamer-like open-work stockings, down 
to the solid stocking for a country ramble. Dressing-gowns, 
muslin and silk dresses, and mantillas, should also be com- 
prised in the outfit, "as well as several bonnets, or hats, and 
suitable wrappings for winter. Those who cannot afford such 
luxuries must substitute fewer articles of a more modest and 
durable kind. Such a stock is an invaluable groundwork to 
start with, and, by supplying gradually each article as it wears 
out, the lady's wardrobe can be renewed without great expense. 

Bridal Gifts. — Jewels are not comprised in an outfit. 
These should be presented by the bridegroom. Still, in fami- 
lies where there are family jewels, the daughter may have a 
portion set for her, according to the fashion of the day, over 
and above what her future husband may offer. Such, however, 
are exceptional cases. In less wealthy classes the husband 
would offer trinkets according to his means. Besides the lat- 
ter, a watch, fan, a smelling bottle, or any elegant article for 
the toilet or boudoir table, such as an ornamental candlestick, 
a desk of inlaid wood, or a fanciful standish, would be appro- 
priate gifts. Any good old lace which the elders among the 
bride's female relations may happen to have amongst their 
stores is a most welcome present on such an occasion; but, if 
no aunts or other relations volunteer anything of the kind, the 
bride's mother should then supply the want, if she can afford it, 
or, in default of real lace, that pretty substitute, Irish point. 
A dress of black lace, and another of white lace, whether real 
or imitation, would likewise be a most useful addition to a 



ETIQUETTE. 51 

trousseau, as well as feathers, ribbons, and any of those 
articles that can scarcely go out of fashion, and form an excel- 
lent fonds-de-toilette. But if the donors of bridal gifts really 
wish to benefit a bride, not in affluent circumstances, we would 
suggest that they hold council together, so as not to double 
any superfluous article. 

Bridesmaids. — A bride may have one or six bridesmaids at 
her choice. No particular number being fixed, it is often de- 
termined by the number of sisters, or of intimate friends, she 
may have. The bridesmaids should be dressed in white, and 
all alike, and may wear orange flower bouquets; they should 
avoid dressing like brides, which is out of place. 

The Ceremony. — The bride uniformly goes to church in 
the same carriage with her parents, or with those who stand in 
their place; as, for instance, if the father is deceased, an elder 
brother or uncle, or even guardian, accompanies her mother 
and herself. If unhappily she is an orphan, and has no rela- 
tions, a middle-aged lady and gentleman, friends of her pa- 
rents, should be requested to take their place. A bridesmaid 
will also occupy a seat in the same carriage. 

The bridegroom finds his way to church in a separate car- 
riage, with his friends, or on foot, as the case may be; and he 
will show his gallantry by handing the bride from her car- 
riage, and paying every attention to those who accompany her. 
Any omission in this respect cannot be too carefully avoided. 

When before the altar, the father of the bride, or, in default 
of such relation, the nearest connection or some old friend, 
gives away the bride. The bridesmaids stand near the bride; 
£.nd either her sister or some favorite friend will hold the 
gloves or handkerchief, as may be required, when she ungloves 
her hand for the wedding ring. When the ceremony is com- 
pleted, and the names of the bride and bridegroom are signed 
in the vestry, they first leave the church together, occupying, 
by themselves, the carriage that waits to convey them to the 
house of the bride's father, or that of the guardian or friend 
by whom the bridal breakfast is given. 

Bridal Breakfast. — The wedding cake uniformly occu- 
pies the centre of the table, It is often tastefully surrounded 



5& ETIQUETTE. 

with flowers, among which those of the orange are conspicuous. 
After being cut according to the usages observed on such occa- 
sions, the oldest friend of the family proposes the lady's health ; 
that of the bridegroom is generally proposed by some friend of 
his own, if present, but, if not so, by his father-in-law, or any 
of his new relatives, who will deem it incumbent upon them to 
say something gratifying to him while proposing his health, 
which courtesy he must acknowledge as best he can. The 
bride will retain her bridal costume during the breakfast. She 
occupies, with her husband, the centre of the table, and sits by 
his side — her father and mother taking the top and bottom, 
and showing all honor to the guests. When every compliment 
and kind wish has been proffered and acknowledged, the bride, 
attended by her friends, withdraws and exchanges her bridal 
costume for a walking dress, before she starts for her wedding 
tour. Good taste points out that all bridal attributes should 
now be entirely discarded. Peculiarities that pertain to past 
days should be guarded against; mysteries concerning knives, 
forks, and plates, or throwing "an old shoe" after the bride, 
have long been exploded. 

Bridal Dress. — This, like all the rest of the outfit, must de- 
pend on her fortune and position in life; still, whatever be the 
material, it should be white. If a widow likes to wear a col- 
ored silk, let her do so by all means, there is almost a modest 
propriety on her part in declining to play the bride a second 
time in her life; and, if those of limited means prefer to choose 
their dress for its solidity rather than its beauty, we can but 
respect their economical motives, but where no such reasons 
exist, we cannot fancy any young maiden dressed otherwise 
than in white. 

A Brussels lace dress over white satin, or a rich moire-antique 
with point lace flounces, would each form a beautiful costume 
for a bride. As to the head-dress, a veil is usually preferred, 
as being elegant and forming a decided costume peculiar to 
brides. There is something charmingly poetical in a veil and 
orange flower wreath, rendered doubly attractive by its being 
only on one occasion through life that such a coiffure can be 
worn. The veil may be of Brussels or of point lace, or of sim- 
ple tulle with a plain hem, each pretty in their way. The bride, 



ETIQUETTE. 6» 

with a veil, should wear an orange flower wreath upon her 
head. This flower, we may observe, which France first taught 
us to dedicate entirely to the service of brides, no longer holds 
its undivided privilege there. Jasmine, white roses, and other 
white flowers, are now mixed up with the orthodox orange 
flower wreath by some of the most eminent artificial florists of 
Paris. 

Etiquette and Dress After Marriage. — No particular 
dress is required on the days the newly-married pair receive 
their friends. If it be winter, a rich silk or velvet dress, made 
high like a morning one, would be an appropriate attire for the 
lady. If it be summer, a light silk or barege would be suitable, 
but no flowers should be worn in the hair, though lace lappets 
and velvet bows are admissible. Wedding cake and wine 
should be handed to all comers. This is generally the only 
form in which wedding cake is distributed to one's friends in 
London. Persons in the country, not being able to assemble 
their friends so easily, still maintain the old custom of sending 
parcels of wedding cake to all the near connections of the 
family; or, if they receive, pieces of cake are, nevertheless, 
despatched to distant friends and relatives. Some Londoners 
send cake to their country connections, but far the larger por- 
tion neglect this friendly old custom. Formerly, the cake was 
passed through the wedding ring, or the charm was not com- 
plete; but this antiquated piece of superstition is now dis- 
carded, or, at most, would only be found in existence in some 
old farm house remote from town. 

The visits may be returned at the end of above a week or 
ten days. 

At the parties the young couple may attend during the first 
month, there is nothing inappropriate in the bride's wearing 
some little badge of her new state, such as a dress looped up 
with orange flowers or a few orange blossoms in her hair. 

A new-married couple are not expected to give parties at 
their house for the first year; but after that time they must no 
longer play the part of exceptional beings, but give and take, 
as others. 

As to the dress of a young matron, we expect it to be some- 
what richer than that of an unmarried girl. The Parisians 



54 ETIQUETTE. 

show admirable tact in the shades that distinguish the toilette 
of mademoiselle and madame. The girlish simplicity that adds 
a grace to the youthful attractions of the former would be out 
of place on the part of the latter, who, being possessed of jewels 
(which the French deem a superfluous ornament to the unmar- 
ried young lady), must dress in a corresponding style of lux- 
ury. Besides, she now assumes a position in society as the 
mistress of a house; her fate is fixed; she knows she can spend, 
and acts accordingly. But, if the young lady, having rich 
parents, launches at once into the full blaze of jewels and ex- 
pensive dresses, and then marries some poor captain on half- 
pay, she will feel humiliated at having to modify her toilette to 
suit her altered circumstances. This change would be less 
perceptible were our young ladies equally as judicious with the 
Parisian ones, in adopting a simple style of adornment. 

Should there be no settlement, and the couple be in easy 
circumstances, we would advise the fixing a sum for pin money, 
which would avoid a number of disputes, particularly among 
touchy people. We would avise the wife never to exceed the 
sum agreed upon, as some men would make that a fertile theme 
for expiating on the extravagance of ladies. Many ladies pre- 
fer that their dressmaker, silk mercer, shoemaker, and others, 
should send in their bills to their husband, calculating that the 
brunt of his ill temper, if such is called forth, will fall on the 
tradespeople for allowing the running up of such accounts; but 
this is a habit that only encourages profuse expenditure where, 
perhaps, there is not adequate fortune to meet it. 

A cheerful home is the best security for happiness. 
There is not only a moral, but a physical cheerfulness that 
should be attended to. A well-lighted room, a neatly-served 
dinner, everything clean and tidy and bright, predispose the 
mind to pleasant impressions. Let the prudent wife strive to 
attain this state of things, if she values her domestic happi- 
ness. . a ; 

Always receive your husband with smiles, leaving nothing 
undone to render home agreeable, and gratefully reciprocate 
his kindness and attention. Study to gratify his inclinations 
in regard to food and cookery, in the management of the house- 1 
hold, in your dress, manners, and deportment. Never attempt 



ETIQUETTE. 55 

to rule, or appear to rule, your husband. Such conduct de- 
grades husbands, and wives always partake largely in the degra- 
dation of their husbands. In everything reasonable comply 
with his wishes with cheerfulness, and even, as far as possible, 
anticipate them. Avoid all altercations or arguments leading 
to ill-humor, and more especially before company. Few things 
are more disgusting than the altercations of the married when 
in the company of friends or strangers. If a lady understands 
that her duties are obedience, complaisance, an entire surren- 
der of her will to that of her husband, and attention to his 
happiness as the first consideration, she has the spirit of the 
religious and civil idea of marriage. 

Evening Parties. — A list of the persons you intend to in- 
vite having been made out, proceed to write the notes, or have 
them written, in a neat, handsome hand by an experienced 
caligrapher. Fashion, in its various changes, sometimes de- 
crees that these notes and their envelopes should be perfectly 
plain (though always of the finest paper), and that the wax 
seals shall, of course, be very small. At other times the mode 
is to write on embossed note paper, with bordered envelopes 
secured by fancy wafers, transparant, medallion, gold or silver. 
If the seals are gold or silver, the edges or borders of the pa- 
per should be also gilt or silvered. Sometimes, for a very large 
or splendid party, the notes are engraved and printed on cards. 

The notes are usually sent either eight, seven, or six days 
before the party; if it is to be very large, ten days or two 
weeks. In the notes always specify not only the day of the 
week, but also the day of the month, when the party is to take 
place. It is very customary now to designate the hour of as- 
sembling, and then the company are expected to be punctual to 
that time. People really genteel do not go ridiculously late. 
When a ball is intended, let the words "Dancing" be intro- 
duced, in small letters, at the lower left-hand corner of the 
note. 

In preparing for a party, it is well (especially if you have 
had but little experience yourself) to send for one of the pub- 
lic waiters and consult with him on the newest style of "doing 
these things." He can also give you an idea of the probable 
expense. We do not, of course, allude to magnificent enter- 



86 ETIQUETTE 

tainments such as are celebrated in the newspaper^ and beOm» 
a nine days' wonder. 

In engaging your presiding genius it is wel 1 to desire him 
to come on the morning of the party; he will be four/d of great 
advantage in assisting with the final preparations. He will 
ttend to the silver, and china and glass; and see that the 
lamps are all in order, and that the fires are in proper trim 
for evening. He will bring with him (at whatever hour you 
indicate) his young men, as he calls them, and these are his 
apprentices that he has in training for the profession. 

One of these men should be stationed in the vestibule, of 
just within the front door. On that evening (if not at othei 
times) let this door be furnished with a lamp, placed on a shelf 
or bracket in the fanlight, to illumine the steps and shine down 
• upon the pavement where the ladies cross it on alighting from 
their carriages. If the evening prove rainy, let another man 
attend, with an umbrella, to assist in sheltering them on their 
way into the house. The ladies should all wear overshoes, 
to guard their thin slippers from the damp, in their transit from 
the coach to the vestibule. 

At the top, or on the landing-place of the first staircase, let 
another man be posted to show the female guests to their 
dressing room, while still another waiter stays near the gentle- 
man's room till the company have arrived. 

In the apartment prepared as a dressing room for the ladies, 
two or more women should be all the evening in attendance; 
the room being well warmed, well lighted, and furnished with 
{ill that may be requisite for giving the last touches to head, 
feet, and figure, previous to entering the drawing room. When 
ready to go down, the ladies meet their gentlemen in the pass- 
age between the respective dressing rooms. 

If any lady is without an escort, and has no friends at hand, 
she should send for the master of the house to meet her near 
the door and give her his arm into the drawing room. He 
will then lead her to the hostess and to a seat. Let her then 
bow, as a sign that she releases him from further attendance, 
and leaves him at liberty to divide his civilities among his 
other guests. 

In the ladies' room, beside two toilette glasses with theii 



ETIQUETTE. 57 

branches lighted, let a Psyche or cheval glass be also there; 
likewise a hand-mirror on each toilette, to enable the ladies to 
see the back of their heads; with an ample suppy of pins, 
combs, brushes, hair-pins, &c, and a workbox containing 
needles, thread, &c. Let there be bottles of fine eau-de 
Cologne, and camphor, and hartshorn, in case of faintings. 
Among the furniture have a sofa and several footstools for the 
ladies to sit on if they wish to change their shoes. 

The women attending must take charge of the cloaks, 
shawls, overshoes, &c, rolling up together the things that be- 
long to each lady, and putting each bundle in some place they 
can easily remember when wanted at the breaking-up of the 
assembly. 

It is now the custom for the lady of the house (and those of 
her own family) to be dressed rather plainly, showing no desire 
to eclipse any of her guests on this her own night. But her 
attire, though simple, should be handsome, becoming, and in 
good taste. Her business is, without any bustle or apparent 
officiousness, quietly and almost imperceptibly to try and ren- 
der the evening as pleasant as possible to all her guests, intro- 
ducing those who, though not yet acquainted, ought to be, and 
finding seats for ladies who are not young enough to continue 
standing. 

The custom that formerly prevailed, in the absurd days of 
crowds and jams, when dense masses were squeezed into small 
apartments, of removing every seat and every piece of furni- 
ture from the room, is now obsolete. A hard squeeze is no 
longer a high boast. Genteel people no longer go to parties 
on the staircase or in the passages. 

In houses where space is not abundant, it is now customary 
to have several moderate parties in the course of the season, 
instead of inviting everybody you know on the same night. 

When the hour of assembling is stated in the notes of invi- 
tation (as it always should be) the guests, of course, will take 
care to arrive as nearly as possible about that hour. At large 
parties tea is usually omitted, it being supposed that every one 
has already taken that beverage at home previous to com- 
mencing the business of the toilette. Many truly hospitable 
ladies still continue the custom, thinking that it makes a pleas- 



58 ETIQUETTE. 

ant beginning to the evening and exhilarates the ladies after 
the fatigue of dressing and arriving. So it does. For a large 
company, a table with tea, coffee, and cakes may be set in the 
ladies' room, attendants being there to supply the guests with 
refreshments before they go down. If there is no tea, re- 
freshments are sent round soon after the majority of the com- 
pany has come. 

After a little time allotted to conversation, music is gene- 
rally introduced by one of the ladies of the family, if she plays 
well; otherwise, she invites a competent friend to commence. 
A lady who can do nothing "without her notes," or who can- 
not read music and play at sight, is scarcely enough of a music- 
ian to perform in a large company, for this incapacity is an 
evidence that she has not a good ear, or rather a good mem- 
ory, for melody, or that her musical talent wants more cultiva- 
tion. A large party is no time or place for practising or for 
risking attempts at new things, or for vainly trying to remem- 
ber old ones. 

Some young ladies rarely sit down to a piano in any house 
but their home without complaining that the instrument is out 
of tune. We have known a fair amateur, to whom this com- 
plaint was habitual and never omitted, even when we know 
that, to provide against it, the piano had really been tuned that 
very day. The tuning of a harp immediately before playing 
is sometimes a very tedious business. Would it not be well 
for the harpist to come a little earlier than the rest and tune 
the instrument previous to their arrival? And let the tuning 
be deemed sufficient for a while, and not repeated more than 
once again in the course of the evening, especially in the midst 
of the first piece. 

Unless a gentleman is himself familiar with the air, let him 
not volunteer to turn over the leaves for a lady who is playing. 
He will certainly turn them over too soon or too late, and 
therefore annoy and confuse her. Still worse, let him not at- 
tempt to accompany her with his voice unless he is an excel- 
lent musician or accustomed to singing with her. 

For the hearers to crowd closely round the instrument is 
smothering to the vocalist. Let them keep at a proper dis- 
tance, and she will sing the better and they will hear the bet- 



ETIQUETTE. 59 

ter. It is so rude to talk during a song that it is never done in 
company; but a little low conversation is sometimes tolerated 
in the adjoining room during the performance of one of those 
interminable pieces of instrumental music whose chief merit 
lies in its difficulty, and which (at least to the ears of the un- 
initiated) is rather a bore than a pleasure. 

It is very old-fashioned to return thanks to a lady for her 
einging or to tell her she is very kind to oblige the company 
so often. If she is conscious of really singing well, and sees 
that she delights her hearers, she will not feel sensible of 
fatigue, at least till the agreeable excitement of conscious suc- 
cess is over. 

At a dancing party the ladies of the house decline joining 
in it, out of politeness to their guests, till towards the latter 
part of the evening, when the company begin to thin off and 
the dancers are fatigued. Ladies who are strangers in the 
place are, by courtesy, entitled to particular attention from 
those who know them. A deformed woman dancing is a 
"sorry sight." She should never consent to any such exhi- 
bition of her figure. She will only be asked out of mere 
compassion, or from interested and unworthy motives. 

When a lady has the misfortune to have a crooked or 
misshapen person, it is well for her to conceal it as much as 
possible by wearing a shawl, a large cape, a mantilla, and on 
no account a tight bodied dress. 

A distinguished lady appeared at an evening assemblage so 
Judiciously attired that her personal defects did not prevent 
her from looking really well. Over a rich black satin 
dress she wore a long, loose sacque of black lace, lined with 
grey silk. From beneath the short sleeves of her sacque 
came down long, wide sleeves of white lace, confined with 
bracelets round her fair and delicate little hands. Her throat 
was covered closely with a handsome collar of French em- 
broidered muslin, and her beautiful and becoming cap was of 
white lace, white flowers, and white satin ribbon; her light 
hair being simply parted on her broad and intellectual fore- 
head. With her lively blue eyes and the bright and pleasant 
expression of her countenance, no one seemed to notice the 
faults of her nose, mouth, and complexion, and those of her 



60 ETIQUETTE. 

figure were so well concealed as to be scarcely apparent; 
and then her lady-like ease and the total absence of all 
affectation rendered her graceful and prepossessing. True it 
is that, with a good heart and a good mind, no woman can be 
ugly; at least they soon cease to be so considered, even if na- 
ture has been unkind to them in feature, figure, and complex- 
ion. An intelligent eye and a good-humored mouth are ex- 
cellent substitutes for the want of regular beauty. 

Now, as a deformed lady may render herself very agreeable 
as a conversationist, she has no occasion to exhibit the defects 
of her person in a dance, more especially going down in a 
country dance. 

At a large party, or at a wedding, there is generally a sup- 
per table, lemonade and cake having been sent round during 
the evening. The host and hostess should see that all the 
ladies are conducted thither, and that none are neglected, par- 
ticularly those that are timid and stand back. It is the busi- 
ness of the host to attend to those himself, or to send the 
waiters to them. 

If the party is so large that all the ladies cannot go to the 
table at once, let the matrons be conducted thither first, and 
the young ladies afterwards. If there is a crowd, it is not un- 
usual to have a cord (a handsome one, of course) stretched 
across the door of the supper room and guarded by a servant, 
who explains that no more are allowed to pass till after that 
cord is taken down. Meanwhile the younger part of the com- 
pany amuse themselves in the adjacent rooms. No lady should 
take the liberty of meddling with the flowers that ornament the 
table. 

At a summer evening party the refreshments are of a much 
lighter description than at a winter entertainment, consisting 
chiefly of ice-creams, water-ices, fresh fruits, and cake. 

At a fashionable dinner party the following were the ar- 
rangements: The guests were twenty-four in number, and 
they began to assemble at half-past seven punctually. They 
were received in the library, where the host and hostess were 
standing ready to receive them, introducing those who were 
strangeri to each other. When all had arrived the butler 
entered, and* going up to the lady of the house, told her, in a 



ETIQUETTE. 61 

low voice, that dinner was served. The hostess then arranged 
those that were not previously acquainted, and the gentlemen 
conducted the ladies to the dining room, the principal 
stranger taking the mistress of the house, and the master giving 
his arm to the chief of the female guests. Going into the 
dining room, the company passed by the butler and eight foot- 
men, all of whom were stationed in two rows. 

The table was set for twenty-six, and standing on it were 
elegant gilt candelabra. All the lights were wax candles. 
Chandeliers were suspended from the ceiling. In the middle 
of the table was a magnificent plateau or centre ornament of 
gold, flowers surmounted the summit, and the circular stages 
below were covered with confectionery, elegantly arranged. 
On each side of the plateau, and above and below, were tall 
china fruit baskets. In the centre of each basket were im- 
mense pine-apples of hot -house growth, with their fresh green 
leaves. Below the pine-apples were large bunches of purple 
and white hot-house grapes, beautifully disposed with leaves 
and tendrils hanging over the sides of the baskets. Down 
each side of the whole long table were placed large, round, 
saucer-shaped fruit dishes, heaped up with peaches, nectarines, 
pears, plums, ripe gooseberries, cherries, currants, and straw- 
berries. All the fruits not in season were supplied from hot 
houses. And, alternating with the fruit, were all the entremets 
in covered dishes, placed on long slips of damask the whole 
length of the table. All the plate was superb. The dinner 
set was of French china, gilt and painted with roses. At 
every plate was a carafe of water, with a tumbler turned down 
over it, and several wine glasses. The napkins were large. 
The sideboard held only the show silver and the wine. The 
side-tables were covered with elegant damask cloths. On 
these were ranged, laid along in numerous rows, the knives 
forks, and spoons to be used at dinner. The dessert spoons 
were in the form of hollow leaves, the stems being the 
handles. The fruit knives had silver blades and pearl 
handles. There were two soups (white and brown) standing 
on a side table. Each servant handed the dishes in his white 
kid gloves, and with a damask napkin under his thumb. They 
offered (mentioning its name in a low voice) a plate of each 



62 ETIQUETTE. 

soup to each guest. After the soup, Hock and Moselle were 
offered to each guest, that they might choose either. A dish 
of fish was then placed at each end of the table — one was 
salmon, the other turbot. These dishes were immediately 
taken off to be helped by the servants, both sorts of fish 
being offered to each person; then the appropriate sauce for 
the fish, also cucumbers to eat with the salmon. No castors 
were on the large table, but they were handed round by the 
servants. Directly after the fish came the entremets, or 
French dishes. The wine following the fish was Madeira and 
sherry. 

Afterwards a saddle or haunch of Welsh mutton was placed 
at the master's end of the table, and at the lady's end a boiled 
turkey. These dishes being removed to the side tables, very 
thin slices of each were handed round. The poultry was not 
dissected — nothing being helped but the breast. Ham and 
tongue was then supplied to those who took poultry; and 
currant jelly to the eaters of mutton. Next came the vege- 
tables, handed round on dishes divided into four compart- 
ments, each division containing a different sort of vegetable. 

Next, two dishes of game were put on — one before the mas- 
ter of the house, and the other before the mistress. The game 
(which was perfectly well done) was helped by them and sent 
round with appropriate sauce. Then placed along the table 
were the sweet things — Charlottes, jellies, frozen fruit, &c. A 
lobster salad, dressed and cut up large, was put on with sweets. 
On a side table were Stilton and cream cheese, to be eaten 
with the salad. After this, port wine — the Champagne being 
early in the dinner. Next, the sweets were handed round. 
With the sweets were frozen fruits — fruits cut up and frozen 
with isinglass jelly (red, in molds). Next, a dessert plate was 
given to each guest, and on it a ground glass plate, about the 
size of a saucer. Between these plates was a crochet-worked 
white doyly, of the size of the under plate, the crochet-work 
done with thread, so as to resemble lace. These dcylies were 
laid under the ground glass plate to deaden the noise of their 
collision. Then was brought from the side table a ground 
glass plate of ice cream or water ice, which you took in ex- 
change for that before you. The water ice was frozen in 



ETIQUETTE. 63 

molds in the form of fruit, and suitably colored. The baskets 
containing the fruit were then removed to the side tables. 

After sitting awhile over the fruit, the lady of the house 
gives the signal by looking and bowing to the ladies on each 
side, and the ladies, at this signal, prepare to retire. The 
gentlemen all rise and remain standing while the ladies depart 
— the master of the house holding the door open. The ser- 
vants then all retire, except the butler, who remains to wait on 
the gentlemen while they linger awhile (not more than a quar- 
ter of an hour) over the fruit and wine. 

The Toilette. — A great object of importance to every lady 
Is the care of her complexion. There is nothing more pleasing 
to the eye than a delicate, smooth skin, and besides being 
pleasing to the eye is an evidence of health, and gives addi- 
tional grace to the most regular features. The choice of soaps 
has considerable influence in promoting and maintaining this 
desideratum. These should invariably be selected of the 
finest kinds and used sparingly, and never with cold water, for 
the alkali which, more or less, mingles in the composition of 
all soaps, has an undoubted tendency to irritate a delicate skin; 
warm water excites a gentle perspiration, thereby assisting the 
skin to throw off those natural secretions which, if allowed to 
remain, are likely to accumulate below the skin and produce 
roughness, pimples, and even eruptions of an obstinate and 
unpleasant character. Those soaps which ensure a moderate 
fairness and flexibility of the skin are the most desirable for 
regular use. 

Pomades, when properly prepared, contribute, in an espe- 
cial manner, to preserve the softness and elasticity of the skin, 
their effect being of an emollient and congenial nature; and, 
moreover, they can be applied on retiring to rest, when their 
effects are not liable to be disturbed by the action of the at- 
mosphere, muscular exertion, or nervous influences. 

The use of paints has been very correctly characterized as 
"a species of corporeal hypocrisy as subversive of delicacy of 
mind as it is of the natural complexion," and has been, of late 
years, discarded at the toilette of every lady. 

The Hands. — A fine hand contributes greatly to the ele- 
gance of the personal appearance. Its shape depends, of course, 






64 ETIQUETTE. 

in a great measure, upon physical conformation, though, doubt- 
lessly, exertion early in life, such as continual musical practice, 
may disturb its symmetry. We refer more especially to the 
harp, which makes the fingers crooked and render their tips 
hard and thick. This may also apply to many kinds of me- 
chanical employment and manual labor. A white, soft hand, 
small in proportion to the height of the person, moderately 
muscular, with slender, straight fingers, and well-formed, trans- 
parent nails, is, perhaps, as near the standard of beauty as any 
given outline can be. 

The texture and color of the skin, and the appearance of 
fhe nails, show how much care and culture the possessor has 
bestowed upon them, and, consequently, may be regarded as 
evidence of his or her taste. To preserve the hands soft and 
tvhite, they should be washed with fine soap in warm water, 
find carefully dried with a moderately coarse towel. The rub- 
ting should excite a brisk circulation, which alone will pro- 
mote a soft and transparent surface. The palm of the hand 
&nd the tips of the fingers should be of the color of the inner 
leaves of a moss rose, with the blue veins distinctly visible. 
The transparency of the nails may be preserved by the use of a 
firm brush, and the skin which encroaches upon the fine circle 
forming their base may be pushed back by a firm towel while 
the hand is wet. The nails worn moderately long form not 
only a protection to the fingers, as intended by nature, but 
look graceful and finished. Exposed, as the hands often are 
in accidental pursuits, to discoloration, their whiteness may, 
for the time, be restored by a little lemon juice, and, when 
washing, by the use of lemon soap. In preserving the delicacy 
of the hands almond paste will be found serviceable and agree- 
able. Gloves should always be worn on exposure to the at- 
mosphere, and are graceful at all times for a lady in the house, 
except at meals. 

The Feet. — If simply considered as the organ of locomo- 
tion, the foot is one of the most important members of the 
human frame. When suffered to exhibit the untrammeled for- 
mation and proportion of nature it is, indeed, beautiful, but as 
it is, is an appropriate and elegant finish to the figure. The 
usages of society in modern Europe, at once judiciously com* 



ETIQUETTE. 65 

bining health, comfort, and elegance, forbid the exhibition of 
the unclothed foot; but the exquisite sculptures of Greece and 
Rome sufficiently attest the accuracy of our assertion. We see 
there the finely-proportioned feet only protected by the simple 
sandal; the arched and muscular instep; the dimpled joints, 
and stright, slender toes falling equally to the ground. As we 
look upon them we feel at once their perfect adaption to the 
purpose of graceful exercise, their peculiar beauty of forma- 
tion and finish in themselves, and their capability of support- 
ing the superstruction of which they form so elegant a part. 
Yet a small foot, meaning a narrow, shapeless one, is now so 
generally admired — and such excessive pains are taken to ob- 
tain it by restricting the growth of the foot in early life by the 
use of small and unyielding -shoes — that in the upper and mid- 
dle classes of society a really handsome foot is rarely found to 
accompany figures of even faultless proportions otherwise. 
This absurd prejudice exists chiefly among ladies, who, heed- 
less of medical advice to the contrary, continue to wear shoes 
smaller in size than the dimensions of their feet actually re- 
quire, and do, in many instances, cheerfully submit to the most 
cruel self-imposed restraint rather than the world should say 
that nature had given them feet properly proportioned to the 
development of their persons. Now, the truth is, that feet 
larger than they really require to be for the size and weight of 
the rest of the body very rarely occur, and, when they do, are 
by no means more inelegant in appearance than such as are 
disproportionately small; and were these self -doomed sufferers 
to reflect that a foot can only be handsome so long as it is 
suitable for the performance of its natural functions, and that 
such as approach to the Chinese idea of beauty must ensure a 
most ungraceful carriage, they would certainly cease their en- 
deavors to attain an end so closely approaching to deformity. 
Besides, in attempting to reduce the feet to an unnatural, nar- 
row compass, the confinement to which they are subjected 
necessarily leads to their ultimate distortion; crooked and un- 
even toes, projecting joints, irritable corns and bunions, and 
crippled motions, are the results of the endeavors to cramp the 
feet into fashionable neatness ! And yet all the squeezing and 
compressing which can be brought to bear upon a foot by 
5 



iT 



66 ETIQUETTE. 

shoes of ordinary materials will tend but little to lessen it in 
size, one quarter of an inch being, we may safely state, the ut- 
most extent of the diminution that can for any time be borne. 
Reflection, too, will show how slight the change can be which 
if effected in this way upon the appearance of an ordinary 
sole, and, also, how little the advantages keep pace with the 
annoyances undergone. 

A foot which is flatly formed appears much larger to the 
eye than one which is finely arched, although, in reality, its 
surface may not be greater, and a judicious method of reducing 
its bulk in appearance, and perhaps improving its shape, is to 
adopt those coverings which, by form and color, are calculated 
to produce that effect by optical delusion. White and fancy 
stockings should be avoided by those whose feet possess this 
peculiar development, as white and other light colors, from 
their well-known power of reflecting light, give the form of 
the object to which they are applied a peculiar distinctness. 
Black, on the other hand, sends back few, if any, rays of light 
to meet the eye, and, consequently, the feet, if clothed in this 
color, will appear themselves sensibly diminished. Black 
stockings and dark-colored boots and shoes, invariably black, 
whatever their material may be, should, therefore, be worn by 
those who have large and flat feet, and, by skillful management, 
will not appear out of keeping with the rest of the dress. The 
shoe, moreover, should be made to come high upon the instep, 
for nothing tends so much to give a degree of awkwardness to 
the feet as their being allowed to overflow, as it were, the 
leather, since they are certain to look large if anything in the 
vicinity should happen to be disproportionately small. The 
heel should, in addition, be considerably elevated, with a view 
to increase the height of the arch, by which, in turn, the gene- 
ral flatness is diminished, and the appearance of breadth con- 
sequently lessened. Such, we doubt not, our fair readers will 
find on trial to be a better way of remedying apparent and 
even real defects in size than the ordinary method by com- 
pression; let greater attention be paid to the color of the 
stocking and the form of the shoe, and less to the thinness of 
the former and smallness and lightness of the latter, and bene- 
fits greater than may appear at first sight will, we firmly be* 



ETIQUETTE. 67 

lieve, result to those who alter their line of procedure. A 
walking shoe should be particularly easy and of firm materials, 
with a thick sole; boots are not well adapted for this purpose, 
as they are usually tight and do not admit of the free play of 
the muscles of the foot and ankle so necessary to walk with 
either grace or comfort; a slight shoe with a slight sole induces 
fatigue, from its inability of yielding a firm support to the foot. 
Ladies are too much in the habit of neglecting the practice of 
walking as a means of healthful exercise, although part of the 
blame attaches to their natural protectors, who have absurd 
ideas of the impropriety of women being frequently seen out 
doors. Those, indeed, who possess carriages do not confine 
themselves so rigorously, but walking is by far the most pre- 
ferable mode of taking the air. Our continental neighbors 
differ from us in no respect more than in their fondness for ex- 
ercise in the open air, and to the opportunities of thus fulfilling 
the dictates of nature we may ascribe the elegance which 
marks the movements of their wives and daughters. The 
women of Paris and Madrid are celebrated for the elegance of 
their feet, but then they cultivate them properly by constant 
walking, which they look upon as a graceful accomplishment. 
In both capitals the utmost care is bestowed upon the decora- 
tion of the feet; and from this results that symmetrical form 
which fixes the attention of the English stranger. 

The Teeth. — Many reasons combine to render early and 
persevering attention to the cleanliness and care of the teeth 
an imperative duty; a white, regular dental arch is, besides be- 
ing beautiful in itself, a most advantageous accompaniment to 
the finest features and renders even homely ones agreeable, 
and is necessary in order to preserve the contour of the face. 
The teeth are usually thirty-two in number, sixteen in each 
jaw; they are divided into three classes: ist. The incisors, 
which are the four cutting teeth in front of each jaw. 2nd. 
The canine, or cuspidati, the longest of all the teeth, derive 
their name from their resemblance to the tusks of a dog, and 
are four in number, one appearing on each side of the upper 
and lower row of incisors. 3rd. The molars, or grinders, of 
which there are ten in each side, five above and the same num- 
ber below, so called from being, as to size, figure, and situa- 



68 ETIQUETTE. 

tion, best calculated for the mastication of our food. The 
teeth of the first and second classes have only one fang each; 
the three last molars two fangs, and the same teeth in the 
upper, three. Each tooth is divided into two parts — its body, 
or that part which is above the gum, covered with the hard, 
white, peculiar substance called enamel, and its fangs, or root, 
which is fixed in the socket; the boundary between these two, 
called the neck of the tooth, is formed by a small, circular de- 
pression immediately above the edge of the gum. The teeth 
should be washed with a moderately soft brush and tepid water 
every morning, taking care that the brush operates also on the 
gum, for the purpose of keeping up a brisk circulation and at 
the same time rendering its surface firm and healthy. The 
mouth should also be carefully rinsed with tepid water after 
meals, as the small particles of food which may remain in the 
interstices of the teeth are liable, by their decomposition, to 
impart an urpleasant odor to the breath, and this precaution 
should be particularly attended to after supper, with a few 
strokes of the brush, as a very slight roughness of the surface 
materially assists the accumulation of tartar. Tartar appears 
to be a residuum of the saliva, as it is found to invade those 
teeth more particularly which are in the immediate vicinity of 
the openings of the salivary ducts; these are the inner sides of 
the front teeth in the lower jaw and the outer surfaces of the 
molars in the upper jaw; it is, therefore, a natural source of 
annoyance peculiar to every human being; in some constitu- 
tions it is more largely deposited than in others; but never so 
obstinately as to resist the brush, if constantly used; we do not 
mean to say that a brush can remove tartar when once suffered 
to effect a lodgment and acquire consistence, but we are certain 
that the daily use of the brush will, in most individuals, pre- 
vent its being deposited altogether. The operation for remov- 
ing the tartar is called scaling, and in the hands of an exper- 
ienced dentist, is both a simple and a safe one. In some 
instances, however, the teeth will be so loaded with tartar that 
it is unsafe to remove it at one time. Where this is the case, 
that part which is next the gums should be first removed, that 
they may be thoroughly relieved. This being accomplished, 
the patient should be directed to use some proper application 



ETIQUETTE. 69 

to the gums for a week, which will tend to their eventual resto- 
ration. When the gums are relieved and the teeth show signs 
of fastening, the remaining tartar should be removed, either at 
one or more sittings, until the teeth are perfectly freed from it 
and no roughness is felt to the patient's tongue. After the 
tartar is removed the teeth assume a dark lead color, which 
only disappears after the use of tooth powder for some time 
once or twice a day. "The best tooth powders," says an emi- 
nent dentist (Mr. Snell), "are, in my opinion, composed of such 
ingredients as the following: Prepared chalk, finely levigated, 
three drachms; Spanish soap, one drachm; Florentine iris-root, 
one drachm; carbonate of soda, one drachm. I have often 
found, after the teeth have been perfectly cleaned with in- 
struments, that if constantly brushed once or twice a day with 
this powder they are kept free from tartar. Tinctures and 
other fluid applications to the gums are often extremely useful 
when they are in an unhealthy state. As a simple application 
to the mouth I know of no better thing than soap liniment. 
Where the teeth are not much disposed to collect tartar or be- 
come discolored they may be kept in good order by this alone, 
without the aid of any powder." 

"The various opinions which are held relative to the shape 
and texture of tooth-brushes would lead us to suppose that 
the matter was a much more important one that it really is. 
There are even patent tooth brushes. A brush too hard is as 
useless, from having no elasticity, as one too soft is from its 
having no firmness; a medium between the two should be 
chosen. The brush should be used as much as possible in a 
perpendicular direction, not as regards the brush, but the 
teeth." 

Metal tooth picks have a pernicious effect on the teeth, and 
those made from quills irritate the gum; indeed, the only 
safe article to use is a piece of cane or slip of light wood cut 
to a nice point. 

To the toilette a dental mirror will be found a useful appen- 
dage. It is usually of an oval shape, formed of either glass or 
steel, cased in silver, and so small as to admit of being placed 
in the mouth without the slightest inconvenience. Those con- 
cave mirrors made expressly for the use of dentists are the best, 






70 ETIQUETTE. 

and are easily obtained. By shifting the mirror as occasion 
requires a complete view is obtained of those parts of the teeth 
which, even in the most regular and well-proportioned mouth, 
cannot be seen, either by the individual herself on examina- 
tion in the dressing glass or by another person on looking into 
the mouth itself. For the individual, the dressing glass must, 
of course, be combined with the use of the dental mirror. 
Thus the complete cleanliness and general condition of every 
part of the teeth is ascertained, and the first indication of dis- 
ease is instantly discoverable; consequently, the means of rem- 
edy will have all the advantage of early application. 

The Mouth. — The mouth requires to be rinsed and the 
throat well gargled with tepid water, to which a few drops of 
Eau-de-Cologne may be added with advantage, every morning, 
for a kind of mucus gathers upon the surface of the mouth, 
and particularly on the tongue, during the hours of sleep, 
which, if not removed, obscures the nice perception of the 
palate and impairs the appetite. Sometimes this unpleasant 
matter is more thickly deposited than at others, owing, per- 
haps, to changes of food, of temperature, or any other cause 
upon the stomach. When it requires the aid of a scraper to 
remove it, one made of thin cane, or nicely-prepared whale- 
bone, is infinitely preferable to those ivory or even silver arti- 
cles with which dressing boxes are usually supplied. If the 
mouth feels clammy during the day, after walking or other ex- 
ercise, one part of port wine mingled with three parts of water 
forms a refreshing lotion to rinse it with. A comfortable sen- 
sation is produced by drinking a wineglassful of spring water 
after the usual routine of the toilette is completed, and to take 
a seidlitz powder occasionally is an excellent preventive if sub- 
ject to headache. 

The Breath. — Purity of breath is an unspeakable perso- 
nal comfort, and its value in social intercourse is literally be- 
yond that of rubies. Yet, although it may be said to be 
peculiar to almost every healthy person, it is a precarious pos- 
session, easily forfeited at any time, and many causes more 
particulary tend to affect it as years advance. The natives of 
eastern countries seem to be particularly sensible to this; and, 
considering the sweetness of the breath to depend chiefly upon 



ETIQUETTE. 71 

the condition of the mouth, are in the habit of chewing mastic 
and other odoriferous substances with a view to its preserva- 
tion. This is at best a troublesome practice, and, while sub- 
ject to immediate detection, has not always the effect hoped 
for. The breath is, however, dependent upon other organs 
and causes, as well as the mouth and teeth, for its odor; and 
almost every incident which can affect the general health ex- 
tends its influence to the breath. Thus fatigue, induced either 
by immoderate exercise or repeated and protracted vigils, will 
render it impure. Deep study, combined with anxiety and 
restless nights, will have an equal effect. Sometimes disease 
of the lungs affects the breath; the impurity of the latter is then 
only a symptom and will meet due attention in the medical 
treatment of the disease. Habitual sacrifices to the "jolly god" 
may almost invariably be detected by the fetid odor of the 
breath; the derangement of the digestive organs being the in- 
evitable result of the abuse of fermented liquors, the cause 
must be removed ere the effect can cease. When the breath 
is affected by the teeth an opiate has been recommended, which 
may be prepared by immersing eight ounces of the best honey 
with two ounces of rose water over a gentle fire for a few min- 
utes, and then adding as much powdered myrrh and Armenian 
bole as will form a soft paste; it is applied to the teeth on a 
brush, and is generally successful in removing any unpleasant 
odor from them at the time. Tincture of myrrh, combined 
with tepid water, forms an effectual gargle when the affection 
does not proceed from the stomach. A gargle is also made 
for this purpose by pouring boiling water upon bruised char- 
coal and filtering it when cold; but it is most unpleasant to use 
and can only confer a temporary benefit. Vitiated breath may 
be a source of annoyance when its cause cannot be ascertained; 
but the measures so often insisted upon by physicians in order 
to promote health on other accounts will always exercise a 
beneficial influence upon it. We may mention, among others, 
early rising, exercise in the open air especially, equestrian ex- 
ercise, strict temperance, and constant attention to the econ- 
omy of the stomach and bowels; perseverance in these will, 
if not remove it altogether, at least ameliorate the evil. 

The Lips. — The thinness of the skin which forms the out- 



*,% ETIQUETTE. 

ward covering- of the lips, although contributing in itself to 
their peculiar beauty, renders them particularly susceptible of 
injury from cold; and chaps and excoriation from this cause 
are to many ladies a constant source of annoyance during 
winter. Otherwise the lips are almost independent of assist- 
ance from the toilette. When tenderness of the face and lips 
occurs from taking exercise in cold weather, and the skin is 
rendered rough, though not actually broken, a little cold cream 
is a most soothing application on returning to the house, as if 
immediately allays the smarting and restores the natural 
smoothness to the surface. Cold cream, for this particulaj 
purpose, should be prepared thus: 

Melt two ounces of the finest white wax with eight ounces 
of oil of almonds over a very slow fire, and add gradually half 
a pint of distilled rose water, stirring it until cold. By gentle- 
men who are habitually exposed to the action of the atmo- 
sphere the following lip salve will be found most useful as a 
prophylactic against the effects of frost: Take four ounces of 
*he oil of almonds, one ounce of spermaceti, and one drachm 
of prepared suet, with any simple vegetable coloring according 
to fancy; simmer these until thoroughly mingled; as soon as 
taken off the fire stir into the mixture fifteen drops of tincture 
of capsicum, and, when nearly cold, twenty drops of oil of 
thodium. 

A pleasing and efficacious lip salve is made thus: Put four 
ounces of the best olive oil into a wide-mouthed bottle, with 
one ounce of alkanet root well bruised, stop the bottle care- 
fully, and place it in the heat of the sun until the color be- 
comes a rich crimson; then strain the oil into a pipkin, with 
two ounces each of fine white wax and new lamb suet; melt 
the whole slowly, and, when almost cold, add six drops of otto 
of roses, carefully stirred in, and put the salve up in small 
ivory pots. The use of cayenne losenges deepens the natural 
crimson of the lips; the effect of this carminative preparation 
upon the stomach and the breath are at the same time correc- 
tive and grateful, and it should be had immediate recourse to 
upon the slightest symptom of sore throat. The habit of 
smoking, now so generally adopted by gentlemen, is a decided 
enemy both to the color and the contour of the lips. Nor are 



ETIQUETTE. 73 

these its only evils. In the first place, the stem of the pipe is 
very liable to excoriate the lips by its unyielding harshness, 
when, if not laid aside for the time, a painful and obstinate sore 
may be the result; as, among other causes of irritation, lead 
enters largely into the glazing portion of the stem, and its dele- 
terious qualities are now too well known to require to be partic- 
ularized here. Besides the disfiguring effects of a recent sore 
upon the lip, permanent disease may be reasonably dreaded, 
since a reference to any medical gentleman will confirm the 
startling truth that in a large proportion of cases of cancer oc- 
curring in the face and throat among the poorer classes, the 
first indication of the disease may be clearly traced to the ob- 
stinate excoriation caused by the use of a tobacco pipe. 

The Hair. — The culture and decoration of the hair, as it 
is one of the first objects of personal adornment, naturally 
forms a very important branch of the toilette. In youth the 
hair is generally abundant and glossy, requiring little assistance 
from art to improve its appearance. Perfect cleanliness is in- 
dispensable for the preservation of its beauty and color, as 
well as its duration; this is attained by frequently washing it in 
tepid water, using those soaps which have the smallest portion 
of alkali in their composition, as this article renders the hair 
too dry, and by depriving it of its moist coloring matter im- 
pairs at once its strength and beauty. After washing, the hair 
should be immediately and thoroughly dried, and, when the 
towel has ceased to imbibe moisture, brushed constantly in the 
sun or before the fire until its lightness and elasticity are fully 
restored; and in dressing it a little marrow, pomatum, bears' 
grease, or fragrant oil should be used, yet as sparingly as pos- 
sible. 

The belief entertained by many persons that washing the 
hair induces catarrh, or headache, or injures the hair, is erro- 
neous, as the application of water to the skin is the most nat- 
ural and effectual method of cleansing it, and of keeping open 
the pores through which the perspiration must pass in order to 
ensure its healthy condition; besides, scabs naturally come 
around the roots of the hair of the most cleanly person, and 
these can only be completely detached by the use of soap. 
Wearing an oiled silk cap to prevent the hair and head from 






74 ETIQUETTE. 

being wetted in sea bathing is an injurious custom, and usually 
causes headache at least, and often more serious though un- 
suspected evil. Thus, for the sake of avoiding a little trouble 
or saving a little time, that member of the frame, that truly 
requires, it, is deprived of the invigorating influence of the sea 
water — denied an application more truly repellant of catarrh 
and rheumatic and neuralgic affections than all the coverings 
and artificial means of warmth and cure in use in the fashion- 
able world. The constant and persevering use of the brush 
is a great means of beautifying the hair, rendering it glossy and 
elastic, and encouraging a disposition to curl. The brush pro- 
duces further advantages in propelling and calling into action 
the contents of the numerous vessels and pores which are in- 
terspersed over the whole surface of the head, and furnish 
vigor and nourishment to the hair; five minutes, at least, every 
morning and evening should be devoted to its use. Two 
brushes are necessary for the toilette of the hair — a penetrating 
and a polishing brush; the penetrating brush, especially for a 
lady's use, should be composed of strong elastic hairs cut into 
irregular lengths, but not so hard or coarse as to be in any 
danger of irritating the skin; after being passed once or twice 
through the hair, to ensure its smoothness and regularity, the 
brush should be slightly dipped in Eau-de-Cologne, or sprinkled 
with a little perfumed hartshorn, as either of these preparations 
are beneficial in strengtheing the hair. The polishing brush 
should be made of firm, soft hairs, thickly studded. Combs 
should only be resorted to for the purpose of giving a form to 
the hair or assisting in its decoration, as their use is more or 
less prejudicial to the surface of the skin and the roots of the 
hair. The small toothed ivory comb is particularly injurious, 
as, besides its irritating effect on the skin, it has a tendency to 
split and crush the hair as it passes through it; surely this 
comb is not necessary at the toilette of a lady ? 

The growth of the hair is best promoted by keeping it 
scrupulously clean, and by cutting it frequently. 

A moderate profusion of hair, gracefully arranged, is a 
characteristic adornment of women, and its appearance and 
condition will be found to convey conclusive evidence of the 
habits and taste of the wearer. In the disposition of the hair 



ETIQUETTE. 75 

attention should always be paid to the style of the features and 
the formation of the face; yet it would be scarcely possible to 
imagine a countenance whose symmetry would not be injured 
by adopting any outre method. Braiding the hair, though a 
simple and unpretending method of dressing it, yet requires 
extremely regular features to relieve its formality, and is be- 
coming perhaps only to those ladies whose style of face resem- 
bles the Grecian. Braids are, however, indispensable in deep 
mourning, when decoration is least in the thoughts of the 
wearer. Curls and ringlets generally harmonize with the female 
face, and seem really to be the most tasteful method of dress- 
ing the hair. Papillotes, the usual and best way of curling, 
should be put up gently and secured from coming out by a 
small pin run through the paper, because if they are too tightly 
twisted they not only occasion headache and uneasy sleep, but 
actually injure the hair by drawing it out by the roots; and in 
plaiting or tying the hair with a ribbon care should be taken 
not to draw it so tightly as to render the head uncomfortable, 
for anything that prevents the natural, easy flow of the hair 
tends to deprive it of its moisture, and thus, by checking its 
growth, renders it weak and thin. If the hair be very soft and 
fine, pomatum or oil is not required to dress it, but a fluid com- 
position, such as either of the following, will be serviceable, 
both in giving it a fine gloss and imparting strength to it: 
Grate carefully down a pound and a half of good white soap, 
and put it with six ounces of potash and three pints of alcohol 
into a jar, which place in a hot water bath, stirring the mixture 
until it is thoroughly melted, then leave it to settle; pour off 
the clear liquor; perfume it with essence of violets, and put it 
up in well-corked bottles for use. The other excellent curling 
fluid is made by dissolving in the same manner, two pounds of 
soap, eight ounces of potash in a pint and a half each of water, 
adding to the liquor, when cold and clear, twenty drops of 
essence of amber. 

The hair is subject to changes peculiar to its nature and 
structure as disease or the approach of age alter the constitu- 
tion. Loss of color is perhaps the earliest source of annoy- 
ance, and many recipes have been set forth as a means of its 
restoration. These consist chiefly of hair dyes; preparations 



76 ETIQUETTE. 

Which at best are of doubtful service, and, in some instances, 
positively dangerous from the metallic agents employed in 
their composition; at the same time, they are extremely 
troublesome to use. 

The remote causes of premature grey hair are anxiety, dis- 
appointment, protracted grief, great mental exertion, fear, 
fright, headache, and some others. Great care should be 
taken after sea bathing to wash the hair in soft water, to free 
it from the saline particles which form so large a constituent 
of the sea water, as these are very active in producing grey 
hair by extraction of the natural color. Among the best ap- 
plications to the hair, with a view to prevent its becoming 
grey, are prepared marrow, bear's grease and honey water; the 
latter should be made thus: Take two quarts of the best French 
brandy; one pound of virgin honey; half a pound of coriander 
seeds; one ounce of cloves; half an ounce each of nutmeg, 
benzoin, and storax; the rind of two lemons, and two vanil- 
loes; digest forty-eight hours, and distil with a gentle heat; 
add a pint each of rose water and orange-flower water; with 
three grains of ambergris; digest again forty-eight hours, and 
then filter and keep the water in closely stopped bottles. 

There may possibly be a few instances where the adoption 
of false hair is excusable if not justifiable, but the matron whose 
tresses have become sprinkled with silver, commits an offence 
against beauty of the most interesting order in 'removing or 
concealing them, and assuming in their place substitues pre- 
pared by the artist, since the latter, however elegant and even 
natural in their appearance, are ever too youthful to harmonize 
with the faded complexion and altered features of advancing 
years. 

The hair exercises considerable influence upon the health; 
and the consequence of cutting it depends upon the state of 
the circulation in the head at the time, and the quantity re- 
moved; to a person in health cold in the head, ear ache, head 
ache, and sometimes sore throat is the result when much is 
taken off suddenly, unless a covering is substituted, and worn 
for some time afterwards. Those who are strongly constituted, 
and who take regular exercise in the open air, may not perhaps 
experience inconvenience by the neglect of this precaution, 



ETIQUETTE. 77 

but to the weak, or with convalescents, it will be otherwise. 
"Cutting off the hair," says Dr. Copland, "in cases of inflam- 
matory excitement of the brain, or under any circumstances 
calling for cold applications, can seldom be productive of in- 
jury, though it seems doubtful if it be so beneficial as is gener- 
ally supposed." On the other hand, keeping the hair closely 
cut is often productive of good effects; it is serviceable in 
head aches; frequent cutting promotes the growth of the hair, 
and admits of the usual operations of combing and brushing 
acting more efficiently on the scalp. In cases where cold 
sponging or the shower bath is necessary short hair is a decided 
advantage. 

Depilatories are preparations for removing superfluous hair; 
but to have the desired effect they require to be compounded 
of such powerful ingredients that their use is attended with 
extreme danger to the skin. They are chiefly in the form of 
powders, of which a small quantity is made into a paste with 
rose water, Eau-de-Cologne, or even simple water, and applied 
on a piece of cambric. 

Bad Practices. — It may be well to caution our young friends 
against certain bad practices, easily contracted, but sometimes 
difficult to relinquish. The following are things not to be 
done: Biting your nails. Slipping a ring up and down the 
finger. Sitting cross-kneed and jogging your feet. Drumming 
on the table with your knuckles; or, still worse, tinkling on a 
piano with your forefinger only. Humming a tune before 
strangers. Singing as you go up and down stairs. Putting 
your arm round the neck of another young girl, or promenad- 
ing the room with arms encircling waists. Holding the arm of 
a friend all the time she sits beside you; or kissing or fondling 
her before company. Sitting too closely. 

Slapping a gentleman with your handkerchief or tapping 
him with your fan. Allowing him to take a ring off your fin- 
ger, to look at it. Permitting him to unclasp your bracelet or, 
still worse, to inspect your brooch. When these ornaments are 
to be shown to another person, always take them off for the 
purpose. 

To listen at door cracks and peep through key holes is 



. , 



78 ETIQUETTE. 

vulgar and contemptible. So it is to ask children questions 
concerning their parents, though such things are still done. 

However smart and witty you may be considered, do not 
exercise your wit in rallying and bantering your friends. If 
you do so, their friendship will soon be worn out, or converted 
into positive enmity. A jest that carries a sting with it can 
never give a pleasant sensation to the object. The bite of a 
mosquito is a very little thing, but it leaves pain and inflam- 
mation behind it, and. the more it is rubbed the longer it 
rankles in the blood. No one likes to have their foibles or 
mishaps turned into ridicule, before other persons especially. 
And few can cordially join in a laugh that is raised against 
themselves. 

The slightest jest on the personal defects of those you are 
conversing with is an enormity of rudeness and vulgarity. It 
is, in fact, a sneer at the Creator that made them so. No human 
creature is accountable for being too small or too large; for an 
ill-formed figure, or for ill-shaped limbs; for irregular features 
or a bad complexion. 

Still worse to rally any person (especially a woman) on her 
age, or to ask indirect questions with a view of discovering 
what her age really is. If we continue to live, we must con- 
tinue to grow old. We must either advance in age, or we must 
die. Where, then, is the shame of surviving our youth? And 
when youth departs, beauty goes along with it. At least as 
much beauty as depends on complexion, hair, and teeth. In 
arriving at middle age (or a little beyond it) a lady must com- 
pound for the loss of either face or figure. About that period 
she generally becomes thinner or fatter. If thin, her features 
shrink and her skin shrivels and fades, even though she retains 
a slender and perhaps girlish form. If she grows fat, her skin 
may continue smooth and her complexion fine, and her neck 
and arms may be rounder and handsomer than in girlhood; 
but then symmetry of shape will cease, and she must reconcile 
herself to the change as best she can. But a woman with a 
good mind, a good heart, and a good temper, can never, at any 
age, grow ugly — for an intelligent and pleasant expression is in 
itself beauty, and the best kind of beauty. 

Sad, indeed, is the condition of women in the decline of life 



ETIQUETTE. 



"9 



when "no lights of age adorn them;" when, having neglected 
in the spring and summer to lay up any stores for the winter thai 
is sure to come, they find themselves left in the season of des- 
olation with nothing to fall back upon but the idle gossip of 
the day — striving painfully to look younger than they really 
are; still haunting balls and parties, and enduring all the dis- 
comforts of crowded watering-places, long after all pleasure in 
such scenes must have passed away. But then they must lin- 
ger in public because they are miserable at home, having no 
resources within themselves, and few enduring friends to en- 
liven them with their society. 

The woman who knows how to grow old gracefully will 
adapt her dress to her figure and her age, and wear colors 
that suit her complexion. 




. 







" We may live without poetry, music and art; 
"We may live without conscience, and live without heart. 
"We may live without friends, we may live without books; 
" 'But civilised man cannot live without cooks ! " 

" We may live without learning — what is knowledge but grieving ? 
" We may live without hope — what is hope but deceiving ? 
" We may live without love — what is passion but pining ? 
" 'But where is the man that can live without dining ? " 

—OWEN MEBEDITH. 




HOUSEHOLD. 



The Kitchen. — One of the finest house-keepers in the United 
States says: "If scrimping must be done, scrimp parlor and 
sitting-room, but have the kitchen and bedrooms as comfort- 
able as possible." Another writer observes: "The kitchen is 
to the house what the stomach is to the body, and should be 
the most spacious, best lighted, and best ventilated apartment 
in the house." This remark, however, is aimed mainly at city 
nomes, where the kitchen is too often a mere little basement 
cellar, badly lighted and illy supplied with pure air, from which 
it is no wonder that the servants are continually rising to the 
upper regions to "give warning." In the country the average 
kitchen is far more decent, but still the erring house-keeper, 
anxious to " have things like other people," is prone to pinch 
the poor kitchen in order to furnish the parlor in gim-cracks. 

This is all wrong. If one's house were intended for enter- 
tainment and continual festivity, then it would be well to place 
its parlor and dining-room first and foremost; but in a farm 
house, where the house-mother's work lies mainly in the kitchen 
and dairy, and where are needed all the aids and conveniences 
for making this work pleasant as well as profitable, it is simply 
Killy to deny one's self valuable and useful every-day things for 
the sake of what-nots, upholstered chairs and Nottingham-lace 
curtains, that must necessarily be shut up, and of no benefit to 
anybody nine-tenths of the year. 

The room should be of good size, with windows on oppo- 
site sides, as they thus give a peculiarly cheerful light. The 
ceiling and w^lls should be whitened or galcimined in §orn§ 



^ 



82 HOUSEHOLD. 

cheerful tint, and the woodwork oiled and varnished. For the 
floor— if it is even and of decent quality of lumber — nothing is 
better than two or three coats of oil, put on one after the other 
as fast as absorbed. Such a floor needs no scrubbing, a weekly 
mopping with plenty of warmish water, being sufficient to keep 
it clean. Comfortable little rugs should be placed before the 
sink and the ironing table, and, if this room must do duty as a 
dining-room, there should be, in winter, a large square of car- 
peting under the dining-table. A neat screen, made by tacking 
chintz or furniture calico upon a light wooden frame, about five 
feet high and six feet wide, might be placed between the table 
and the cook- stove, not only to temper the heat, but to shut off 
the not always attractive view of saucepans, spiders, and ket- 
tles used in the dinner-getting. 

The sink should be capacious, lined with zinc, provided 
with drain-pipes, and flanked by pumps connected with cistern 
and well. Underneath may be a cupboard for pots and kettles, 
and above it a row of pegs on which to hang a dishcloth holder, 
a stiff brush for cleaning vegetables, a little mop for wash- 
ing bottles and narrow-necked pitchers and jars, the lamp 
scissors, and such small articles as are in daily use in this 
department of the kitchen. Two small shelves should be 
placed at either end for soap dishes. A large, conveniently 
arranged sink goes a great way in making kitchen work easy^ 

A good-sized, substantial table of white-wood or pine is 
needed for ironing and baking days. It should have three 
drawers — a large one for ironing sheets, shirt-board and holders, 
and two smaller ones for baking-tins, spoons and knives used 
in cooking, and boxes of spices, salt, etc. Having once used 
such a table, no housekeeper will like to be without it. Above 
this table can be fastened a hanging rack for ironed clothes. 
These are much more convenient than the sort which stand on 
the floor, and when not in use can be folded back against the 
wall, entirely out of the way. 

For washing days are needed a long bench two and a half 
feet wide, and of the right height, two or three tubs, a wringer, 
and, for heavy clothes, a washer. The latter, which costs $5 
or $6, can be fitted to any tub, and ought to be an indispen- 
sable article. It is to washing-day what a reaping-machine is 



HOUSEHOLD. 83 

to an eighty-acre wheat field; and no farmer should neglect to 
provide one for his kitchen, unless he is willing to settle down 
to his harvesting with merely the sickle and the " cradle " of his 
forefathers! These items come under the head of kitchen 
furniture, but are, of course, kept in the cellar, or in a closet 
opening from the kitchen. 

Along with a first-class cooking-stove, for it is not economy 
to have a poor one, should be selected the following quite nec- 
essary articles: Wash-boiler, tea-kettle, soup -pot, frying-kettle, 
spider, two or three granitized saucepans of different sizes, four 
bread-tins, two gem irons, coffee and tea-pots, large and small 
iron spoons, wire steak-broiler, wire toaster, steamer, pudding 
mold, patty pans, potato masher, skimmer, cream whipper, gravy 
strainer, egg-beater, half a dozen cake and pie tins, large and 
small graters, a dozen muffin rings, or a muffin pan, which is 
more convenient than the rings, a colander, a quart measure, 
and a griddle. No doubt other items will readily suggest 
themselves, but these, at any rate, are essential, if good house- 
keeping is the object. A proper and convenient place to keep 
them is a large, deep-shelved cupboard, with close doors, in 
which the common crockery and glass can also be kept. 

The best arrangement is to have cupboard room for all 
table and cooking ware, and keep food and provision stores in 
a cool, well ventilated closet, that can be effectually closed to 
dust and flies. 

Let the farmer provide a large, pleasant kitchen and interest 
himself in its conveniences for work — being as enthusiastic in 
furnishing labor-saving machines for this department of farming 
as for his outside fields — and he will find that he makes an 
investment that pays an hundred fold. Let the farmers wife 
make the kitchen a bright and sweet-aired realm, and be proud 
to be its intelligent and efficient queen. Let her beautify her 
work as much as possible, and lift it above the dull, discourag- 
ing slough of drudgery. With conveniences for work, and a 
cheerful, comfortable place to work in, the women are few who 
will not make their homes " the dearest spot on earth " to all 
who dwell within them. 

The Dining-room. — Although there are many country 
kitchens so shining and orderly and clean aired that it is a 



84 HOUSEHOLD. 

pleasure to break bread in them, there are many others which, 
owing to a large family and a pressure of work, cannot always 
be nice and orderly at meal times; so it is well, if it can be 
afforded, to have a small cheerful room opening from the kitchen, 
easily warmed in winter, and from which heat and flies can be 
excluded in summer, where meals can be eaten in the healthful 
serenity and comfort which is almost as essential as the food 
itself. What can be more refreshing to the laborer than to 
enter from the blistering glare of a harvest day into a cool, softly 
lighted room, in which the fragrance of freshly gathered flowers, 
or the aroma of leafy boughs, mingles its poetry with the cheer- 
ful prose of the beef and vegetables? And how pleasant and 
restful it is for his helpmate to lay aside her kitchen cares and 
kitchen apron together, and come smiling and tidy to her little 
throne behind the tea-service. 

Such a room requires very little furniture. The walls should 
be of neat and quiet tint, with two or three pleasing pictures 
and some brackets for pots of ferns, or such vines as will grow 
prettily in the shade during the hot summer weather. In 
winter a few petunias and two or three foliage plants will fill the 
sunny windows with brightness and bloom. There should be 
a long, substantial table, with plenty of elbow room for all, and a 
side-board or cupboard for table-crockery. A small table will 
be found a convenience — if there is no side-board — for holding 
such dishes as are used toward the end of a meal at dinner 
time, when the varieties of food have a tendency to crowd each 
other. The window curtains may be plain shades of color 
suited to the walls of the room. Nothing can be better for the 
floor in summer time than an oiled surface, like that of the 
kitchen, which can be made comfortable to the feet in winter 
by a large " crumb-cloth " of drugget or home-made carpeting. 

In more opulent farm homes, where the wife has liberty to 
devote more time and means to house decoration and furnish- 
ing, very handsome dining-rooms can be achieved with a 
moderate outlay. There should be high walls, a fire place, and 
a fine large window looking to the south or east. All the rest 
is in the hands of the mistress. If the floor has been laid in 
light and dark woods, well and good. It will be a thing of 
beauty through more than one life time, and always look genu* 



HOUSEHOLD. 85 

ine and substantial, as everything about a dining-room should. 
If, however, the floor is of pine, it may be stained in blocks or 
stripes, in a bordering two feet in width, covered with two 
coats of the best varnish, and the centre adorned with three or 
more breadths of pretty carpeting. 

Have a carpenter construct a side-board of simple but sub- 
stantial form, faced with oak or maple, or else made of the best 
pine. Glue artificial wood carvings of fruits in the centre of 
the top, and upon each door and drawer, and finish the whole 
with oil and varnish. 

The table may also be home-made, and large and solid, with 
rounded corners, and substantial turned legs with casters. If 
not of real oak, the legs should be nicely stained to imitate it. 
If colored table-linen is used, it should be buff and white, with 
green borders, or buff and green in any neat, small patterns. 
These cloths, however, are generally covered with plain white 
ones at meal time. 

Above this table there should be a handsome hanging lamp 
or small chandelier, with perhaps a little basket of Kennelworth 
ivy, or other gracefully growing vine, suspended from it. Such 
a light glorifes the plainest tea table. 

As for chairs, there are a great many ways for achieving 
handsome ones without paying five dollars apiece for them at 
furniture shops. If a dozen oak chairs without seats can be 
obtained "in the rough" at the factory, they can be transformed 
into something pretty and substantial at small cost. They 
should first be oiled and varnished. Then with some stout 
sacking or canvas, some rich, dark cretonne, some gimp and 
furniture tacks, and either hair or wool for stuffing the seats — 
being careful to fasten the canvas securely in place and to cut 
the cretonne to fit neatly — even the cheap "splint-bottoms" 
which cost much less than oak, can be made into handsome 
chairs by painting the wood-work black, ornamenting it with 
gilt and scarlet lines, and varnishing — the seats to be uphol- 
stered in cretonne, striped linen, or common chintz. 

The Parlor. — If means are small, and best room furniture 
seems to be among the things never to be obtained, let not the 
whole house be made dismal because of it; but rejoice that 
there is a kitchen, that there are comfortable bedrooms, and 



^ 






86 HOUSEHOLD. 

that there is a bit of Heaven in the form of a flower garden 
under the windows ! 

Even if one have but a small room to devote to this pur- 
pose, it can be made very pleasing, and has the advantage of 
requiring less furniture. A fire-place, with a mirror above it 
and a large wide-ledged window opposite, make the room 
already half-fitted up. The ceiling calcimined with the palest 
blue, and the walls with a tint two shades deeper, will have 
the effect to make the room appear more spacious. A border 
of dark and light blue, or of bluish-green and gold, should be 
used on such walls. The wood-work should be stained walnut 
color and varnished. The most suitable carpet would be 
an ingrain in small figures of blue and gray, with perhaps a 
bit of yellow or a bit of rose-colored scattered through it. 
Plain blue or gray lambrequins should be used for the win- 
dows, trimmed with fringe of the same color. For the cur- 
tains beneath them, sheer Swiss muslin is always pretty and 
graceful. Sometimes they are made with a knife plaiting or a 
fluted ruffle down the inner edges and across the bottom; but 
they look well when finished with simple hems, and are much 
easier laundried. 

The fire place should be treated after the manner described 
in a previous chapter, and will be found the most effective 
feature in the room, especially if furnished with a good sized 
mirror, which will reflect back all the light and beauty of the 
apartment, and, like the cool color on the walls and ceiling, 
enhance its size. All those tasteful but restricted house-keep- 
ers who are anxious to have really attractive parlors, should 
aim for simply these three things — a large, wide-silled win- 
dow, a fire-place, and a generous-sized mirror to place above 
it — -letting curtains and carpet and chairs come about as they 
can; or using for a while plain shades for the windows, and a 
neat matting for the floor. Adding two or three pictures, a 
few books, some growing vines, and an easy chair to such a 
room, it is already cosy and hospitable in its aspect. In this 
room, as in all others, one should avoid a cluttered, crowded 
appearance. Do not afflict the wall with a general outbreak 
of small pictures, brackets, and fancy articles, as if a notion 
store were being fitted up. It is better to distribute such 



HOUSEHOLD. 87 

things throughout the house, that each room may have its two 
or three touches of graceful fancy. 

For a table obtain something in a round or oval shape. It 
may be of pine or whitewood, but must be strong and sub- ' 
stantial. Paint the legs black and varnish them. The top 
can be covered with a blue or gray cloth, embroidered about 
the edges, if one has time, with silk or white zephyr wool. 
Above the table suspend a pretty hanging lamp with shade. 

Sometimes old chairs can be purchased at an auction, or 
dragged out of a garret, and transformed into beautiful things, 
with paint and varnish, decalcomania-gildings, and stuffed 
seats of rep or cretonne. These, with a light willow rocker, 
or a camp-chair and a handsome foot-stool or two, will com- 
fortably complete the furnishing. 

Remarks. — The dining or breakfast-room should be cool, 
light, and airy, with not much more than the indispensable 
furniture. 

In summer, the floor covered with a staw-matting or an 
oil-cloth; in winter, with a dark, warm-looking carpet. 

A sideboard, or narrow tables, at the side or end of the 
room, for the convenience of dessert and changes of dishes; 
or else have dumb waiters (which are stands supporting large 
trays). 

Most modern houses are built with sliding closets; when 
the dining room is above the kitchen, this is almost indispensa- 
ble; or the waiters' pantry — between the dining room and 
kitchen — has an open communication with it, that the dishes 
may be passed to and fro from the cook, without the delay and 
awkwardness of opening and shutting the doors; or, when 
there are no servants in attendance, it is convenient to have 
the dessert arranged on a tray, covered with a white napkin, 
and placed on a stand or small table at the left hand of the 
mistress or head of the table, and one on the other hand for 
receiving empty plates, etc. 

For Breakfast. — Have a white cloth, with the folds regu- 
lar and perceptible; let each dish be polished with a soft nap- 
kin, as it is placed upon the table, otherwise there is apt to be 
a dimness from having been put together before they were 
perfectly dried; and, further, to remove the traces of the neces- 



88 HOUSEHOLD. 

sary handling, in putting them to their places and returning 
them to the table. 

The plates may be put in a pile at the left hand of the 
carver or at regular intervals around the table. A vast differ- 
ance may be made in the appearance and neatness of the 
table, by the manner in which the knives and forks, and 
spoons, and other paraphernalia, are placed. 

The coffee-urn or pot should have on its brightest face, 
and all the recommendative warmth of its nature — ready for a 
free outpouring; the cream or boiled milk should not lack 
heat, and, not to "waste its sweetness" on the unappreciating 
air, should be contained in a covered pitcher of tin or other 
metal; the sugar-basin, whether the same as the other dishes, 
or of metal, should be bright and covered, with a large-sized 
tea or sugar-spoon beside it; the cups and saucers may be 
placed in heaps of three, within the circle of the sugar, slop, 
and cream vessels. Let the urn or coffee-pot be set at the 
right hand side of the person who serves it; and, if tea is used, 
let it be placed on the same side in a line with it; the one to 
be least called for, to stand at the outer corner of the tray— - 
which may be placed at the middle of the broadside of the 
table, or at one end. 

Before putting the dishes on it, the tray should be covered 
with a white napkin, fringed at the ends. Small napkins or 
doyles, folded in four and ironed very smoothly, may be laid 
at each plate; which should be reversed, or turned the bottom 
side up, and the knife and fork at the right side, or the knife 
at the side and a silver fork in front of the plate. Since so it 
is, that many Americans dislike the use of a silver fork — find- 
ing it exceedingly clumsy and awkward — it is best to place the 
one belonging to the knife with it, at the side of the plate, 
leaving it optional which to make use of. 

Let the cruet-stand or castor occupy the centre of the 
table. If there are more than five or six persons, have two 
small plates of butter, one at either end of the table, and 
opposite each other. Let there be two plates of bread or rolls, 
or one of either of these, and the other place for hot griddle- 
cakes, or corn-bread, or toast. 

Opposite the tray or head of the table» let the steak, or fry, 



HOUSEHOLD. 



89 



(or whatever principal dish,) be placed, with the carving-knife 
and fork before it, and dishes of hominy, or boiled rice, or 
mashed potatoes, and boiled eggs, or hash, opposite each other, 
and the plates of bread between the steak dish and tray, 
having one of the plates of butter between each two, and the 
castor in the centre; also one or two salt stands filled with fine 
salt, and neatly marked with a teaspoon or otherwise, and a 
salt-spoon across each, and may be placed diagonally opposite 
each other. These, with a pitcher of ice-water and several 
tumblers, occupying the corners of the table on either side of 
the carver, complete the breakfast-table. 

If there is a servant or waiter in attendance, let such 
stand at the left hand of the mistress, or head of the table, 
with a small tray, and pass the cups to and from her, presenting 
it at the left hand. 

The Dinner Table.— Without a perfect knowledge of the 
art of carving, it is impossible to perform the honors of the 
table with propriety; and nothing can be more disagreeable 
to one of a sensitive disposition, than to behold a person, at 
the head of a well-furnished board, hacking the finest joints? 
and giving them the appearance of having been gnawed by 
dogs. 

It also merits attention in an economical point of view; a 
bad carver will mangle joints so as not to be able to fill half a 
dozen plates from a sirloin of beef, or a large tongue; which, 
besides creating a great difference in the daily consumption of 
families, often occasions disgust in delicate persons, causing 
them to loathe the provisions, however good, which are set 
before them. One cannot, therefore, too strongly urge the 
study of this useful branch of domestic economy. 




_J 



HOUSEHOLD. 



Carving". — An ox is divided by the butcher into the follow- 
ing joints, London style: 




1. Sirloin. 

2. Top, or tdich-bone. 

3. Eump. 

4. Buttock, or round. 

5. Mouse buttock. 

6. Veiny piece. 



7. Thick flank. 

8. Thin flank. 

9. Leg. 

10. Fore-rib (5 ribs). 

11. Middle rib (4 ribs). 

12. Chuck rib (3 ribs). 



13. Shoulder, or leg-of- 

mutton piece. 

14. Brisket. 15. Clod. 

16. Sticking. 

17. Shin. 

18. Cheeks, or Head. 



Fish is cut with a silver fish-slice, or the more modern large 





OTRBOT. 



MIDDLE-CUT OF SALMON. 



HOUSEHOLD. 



91 



silver-fish knife and fork. Large fiat fish, as turbot, brill, John 
Dorey, etc., must first be cut from head to tail down the mid- 
dle, and then in portions across to the fin, which, being con- 
sidered a delicacy, is helped with the rest. (See cut.) 

Salmon is cut in slices down the middle of the upper side, 
as from A to B, and then in slices across D to C, and a little 
of the "thick," or upper side, and "thin," or under side, are 
put on each plate. 

A mackerel divides between four people; the fish-knife is 
passed between the upper and under side from head to tail, 
and each side is halved to help. A cod is cut cross-ways, like 




COD FISH. 



salmon, from C to B, and in down slices as from A to B, and a 
small piece of the sound is sent with each helping. Small fish, 
as smelts, are sent whole, one on each plate, as are whiting. 

Fried soles are cut across right through the bone. The 
"shoulder" or head end, should be first helped. 

A sirloin of beef is cut across for the under-cut, and 
lengthways for the upper. You should ask your guest if he or 




SIRLOIN OF BEEF. 



she prefers the under-cut, which is by some considered the 
most delicate part of the beef, and is disliked by others. 
Slices from the under cut should be thick. 

Rolled ribs and a round of beef are easily carved in hori* 



92 



HOUSEHOLD. 



zontal slices over the whole surface. The slices should be 
very thin. 

Boiled beef should also be cut in thin horizontal slices the 

A. 




AITCH-BONE. 



size of the joint itself in length and breadth. (See cut.) 

Mutton appears on the table in four forms — the saddle, the 

leg, the shoulder, the loin. 

The saddle is the joint ordered for a large dinner party. It 

is cut in very thin slices close to the backbone; B to A and 







SADDLE OF MUTTON. 



then downwards from A to D and C; but a lady is scarcely 
ever required in the present day to carve a saddle of mutton. 
A shoulder must lie with the knuckle towards your right, 
and the blade-bone towards your left hand. 




SHOULDEB OF MUTTON. 



SHOULDER OP MUTTON. 



In the middle of the edge of the part farthest from you 






HOUSEHOLD. 



93 



place the fork, and then give one sharp cut from the edge to 
the bone. The meat flies apart, and you cut rather thick slices 
Xi each side of the opening A to B till you can cut no more. 

You will then find two or three slices from the centre bone 
tc She end B to C. Afterwards the joint must be turned over, 
and slices cut from the under side. 

Some people, instead of cutting the joint in this manner, 
begin with slices cut lengthways near the middle of the joint 
from the end to the knuckle, and it is the better way. 

A leg of mutton must be placed with the knuckle towards 
your left hand; you then cut into the side farthest from vou 




LEG OP MUTTON. 



towards the bone B to C, helping thin slices from the right and 
thick slices towards the knuckle. The little tuft of fat near 
the thick is a delicacy, and must be divided among your guests. 

A loin of mutton is carved either through the joints, which 
brings it into the form of " chops," or it is cut lengthways, in a 
parallel line with the joints. The latter is the best mode for a 
lady, but a loin is rather for family consumption than for guests. 

A fore-quarter of lamb consists of a shoulder, the breast, 
and the ribs, and, alas! when the carver has to dissect it! If a 
lady is obliged to carve this joint, she must first place her knife 
upon the shoulder, draw it through horizontally, "and then 




FORE-QUAKTER OF LAMB. 



remove the joint whole, placing it on a separate dish, which is 
held for its reception, She must then cut off the breast and 



94 



HOUSEHOLD. 



separate the ribs (see cut); but the cook should always cut off 
the shoulder, and leave it on the joint. 

The hind-quarter consists of a leg and loin. 

A fillet of veal is cut in horizontal slices like a round of 




FILLET OF VEAL. 



beef; they must not be too thin. The stuffing in the centre is 
taken out and helped with a spoon. 




3=OED= 

BREAST OF VEAL. 



In a breast of veal the ribs should be first separated from 
the brisket,, after which either or both may be sent round. 

A calf's head must be cut down the centre in rather thin 
slices on each side. The meat round the eye is scooped out; 




HALF OF CALF'S HEAD. 



it is considered a delicacy. A small piece of the palate and 
accompanying sweetbread must be sent on each plate. 

Roast pork is never seen at dinner parties, but is occasion- 
ally served at a family dinner. 



HOUSEHOLD. 



•95 



The leg is carved like a leg of mutton, but the slices should 
be thicker and not so large. 

A ham may be cut in three ways — ist. By beginning at the 
knuckle, which must be turned towards your left hand and cut 




in a slanting direction; or at the thick end, «$lj^h is then 
turned towards your left; or in the ordinary manngff 9 like a leg 
of mutton, beginning in the centre. 

The slices must be as thin and delicate as you can possibly 

cut them. One slice is given as accompaniment to fowl or veal. 

A rabbit has the legs and shoulders removed with a sharp- 




BOILED BABBIT. 



pointed knife, then the back is broken into three &§&jar pieces 
at the joints. 

Hare is thus carved: First, takeoff the legs. Cut two long 
tmn slices off each side of the back B to A; then take off the 
shoulders, and break the back [into four pieces with the fork. 
Cut ofi the ears, insert the point of the knife exactly in the 




HABE 



"Centre of the palate, and drawing it to the apse, split the head 



9ii 



HOUSEHOLD. 



ixv Iwo. But when only a small portion of the hare is eaten, 
and it is only served at second course, it is more elegant for a 
lady to help a portion of the side with a spoon, as we have 
often seen done. 

The best parts of a hare are the slices from the back, the 
head, and ears. But ladies never eat the two latter. They 
should be sent to any gentleman guest who is known to be an 
epicure. 

A chicken is carved thus: Take off the wings, cut slices 
from the breast, take off the merrythought and side bones. 
The liver wing is the best part of the chicken after the breast; 





KOAST TOVTL. 



BOILED TURKEY. 



but you should help the breast first, then both wings. If you 
have many to help, manage to reserve a slice of white meat to 
send with the legs and sides. 

A partridge is carved like a fowl; so is a pheasant. 

A pigeon is cut in halves right down the middle, and half is 
sent at once to the guest. 

A snipe is treated in the same way. 

Very small birds are sent whole. 

A turkey and goose are helped by cutting slices off the 
breast, and then the wings and legs are taken off. Wild duck 
is helped in the same manner. 




HAUNCH OF VENISON. 



A haunch of venison should be cut from A to B close to 
the knuckle. (See cut first.) Then from C to A. 

Coffee is sent to the gentlemen in the dining-room, Te? 






HOUSEHOLD. 97 

only is handed after dinner, when the gentlemen have left the 
dinner-table. 

A few hints are prefixed on the etiquette of the dinner-table, 
which will be found useful. In that, however, much must be 
left to a. quick and observant eye, and a determination to ren- 
der yourself as agreeable as possible. 

As Host. — The important day on which "you feast your 
friends being arrived, you will be duly prepared to receive the 
first detachment. It were almost needless to observe that the 
brief interval before dinner is announced may be easily filled 
up by the common-place inquiries after health, and observa- 
tions on the weather; as the company increases, provided they 
were previously acquainted, you will find your labors in keep- 
ing up the conversation very agreeably diminished. 

While your guests are awaiting the announcement of din- 
ner, it will be expedient that you should intimate to the 
gentlemen of the party, as unobtrusively as possible, which 
lady you wish each to take in charge, that, when the moment 
arrives for your adjournment to the dining-room, there may not 
be half a dozen claimants for the honor of escorting la plus 
belle of the party, while some plain demoiselle is under the 
painful necessity of escorting herself. Such a scene as this 
should be carefully provided against by the mode above 
suggested. 

When dinner is announced, you will rise and request your 
friends to proceed to the dining-room, yourself leading the 
way, in company with your most distinguished female visitor, 
followed immediately by the hostess, accompanied by the 
gentleman who has the best claim to such an honor. • The 
remainder of the guests then follow, each gentleman accom- 
panied by the lady previously pointed out to him. 

Arrived at the dining-room, you will request the lady whom 
you conducted, to take her seat on your right hand; then, 
standing behind your chair, you will direct your visitors to 
their respective seats. 

Having taken your seat, you will now dispatch soup to each 
of your guests, from the pile of plates placed on your right 
hand, without questioning any whether you shall help them or 
not; but, dealing it out silently, you will first help the person 



■ 



98 HOUSEHOLD 

at your right hand, then at your left, and so throughout the 
table. You will not ask to be allowed to help your guests, but 
supply a plate in silence, and hand it to your servants, who will 
offer it to such of the company as are unprovided. Never 
offer soup or fish a second time. 

If a dish be on the table, some parts of which are preferred 
to others, according to the taste of the individuals, all should 
have the opportunity of choice. You will simply ask each 
one if he has any preference for a particular part; if he replies 
in the negative, you are not to repeat the question, nor insist 
that he must have a preference. Do not attempt to eulogize 
your dishes, or apologize that you cannot recommend them, — 
this is extremely bad taste; as is also the vaunting of the excel- 
lence of your wines, etc, etc. Do not insist upon your guests 
partaking of particular dishes. Do not ask persons more than 
once, and never force a supply upon their plates. It is ill-bred, 
though common, to press any one to eat; and, moreover, it is 
a great annoyance to be crammed like turkeys. Neither send 
away your plate, nor relic uish your knife and fork till your 
guests have finished. 

Soup being removed, the gentleman who supports the lady 
of the house on the right, should request the honor of taking 
wine with her. This movement will be the signal for the rest. 
Should he neglect to do this, you must challenge some lady. 
Until the cloth be removed, you must not drink wine 
except with another. If you are asked to take wine, it is a 
breach of etiquette to refuse. In performing this ceremony, 
(which is very agreeable if the wine be good,) you catch the 
person's eye and bow politely. It is not necessary to say any- 
thing. 

If you have children, never introduce them after dinner, 
unless particularly asked for, and then avoid it if possible. 

Never make any observations to your servants at dinner, 
other than to request them to provide you with what you require, 
or take away that which may be removed. 

With the dessert, you will have a small plate, two wine- 
glasses, and doyles, placed before each guest. If fresh fruit 
be on the table, as pears, apples, nectarines, etc., a knife with a 
silver or silver-plated blade should be placed by the side or 



HOUSEHOLD. 99 

each plate; a steel blade, in addition to being discoiored by 
the juice, imparts an unpleasant flavor to the fruit. 

As Guest. — To dine out, it is usually understood that you 
must be invited. There are, however, some gentlemen who 
have attained to that high degree of refinement which enables 
them to dispense with such a stupid ceremony. They drop in 
as dinner is being served up, when it is impossible that the 
party on whom they intrude can do other than to request them 
to stay and dine, though we suspect he has a much stronger 
inclination to kick the unwelcome guest into the street. We 
would recommend you to eschew such practices; but when 
invited, return an answer in plain terms, accepting or declining. 
If you accept, be there at the appointed time. It is inconven- 
ient, on many accounts, to yourself and your friends, to be 
either too late or too early. You will probably have to wait a 
little time before dinner is announced. During this short 
period, render yourself as agreeable as possible to the assembled 
company. 

Your host will doubtless point out to you the lady he wishes 
you to escort to the dining room. You will be in readiness to 
attend upon her the moment you are summoned to adjourn. 
Offer her your right arm, and follow in order. Should you 
have to pass down stairs, you will give the lady the wall. You 
will take your seat at the table on the right hand of the lady 
you conducted. Being seated, soup will be handed round. 
When offered, take it; but if you prefer fish, pass it on to your 
neighbor. You must not ask for soup or fish a second time; it 
will not be offered — you would not be so rude or selfish as to 
keep the company waiting for the second course, that you may 
have the pleasure of demolishing a double portion of fish. 

Fish .must be eaten with a silver fork, as the acid in the 
sauce, acting on the steel of an ordinary fork, gives an unpleas- 
ant flavor to the dish. For this reason, also, a knife should 
not be used in eating fish. 

If asked whether you have a preference for any dish, or any 
particular part of a dish, answer plainly and distinctly as you 
wish. 

Pay as much attention to your companion on your left, as. 
politeness requires, but do not be unnecessarily officious. 



100 HOUSEHOLD. 

People do not like to be stared at when eating. When you are 
helped to anything, do not wait until the rest of the company 
are provided. This is very common in the countrv but shows 
a want of good breeding. 

Do not allow your plate ro be overloaded with a multifar- 
ious assortment of vegetables, but rather confine yourself to 
one kind. When you take another sort of meat, or a dish not 
properly a vegetable, you must change your plate. 

If you have the honor of sitting on the right hand of the 
hostess, you will, immediately on the removal of soup, request 
the honor of taking wine with her. 

Finally, to do all these things well, and to be au fait at a 
dinner party, be perfectly at your ease. To be at ease is a 
great step towards enjoying your own dinner, and making your- 
self agreeable to the company. Fancy yourself at home; per- 
forming all the ceremonies without any apparent effort. For 
the rest, observation and your own judgment will be the best 
guide, and render you perfect in the etiquette of the dinner 
table. 

Condiments and Beverages -Condiments are simply season- 
ing or flavoring agents, and, though hardly coming under the 
head of food, yet have an important part to play. As food by 
their use is rendered more tempting, a larger amount is con- 
sumed, and thus a delicate or uncertain appetite is often aided. 
In some cases they have the power of correcting the injurious 
character of some foods. 

Salt stands foremost. Vinegar, lemon juice, and pickles owe 
their value to acidity; while mustard, pepper, black and red, 
ginger, curry-powder, and horseradish, all depend chiefly upon 
pungency. Under the head of aromatic condiments are ranged 
cinnamon, nutmegs, cloves, allspice, mint, thyme, fennel, sage, 
parsley, vanilla, leeks, onions, shallots, garlic, and others, all of 
them entering into the composition of various sauces in general 
use. 

Salt is the one thing" indispensable. The old Dutch law 
condemned criminals to a diet of unsalted food, the effects be- 
ing said to be those of the severest physical torture. Years ago 
an experiment tried near Paris demonstrated the necessity of 
its use. A number of cattle were fed without the ration of 



HOUSEHOLD. 101 

salt; an equal number received it regularly. At the end of a 
specified time, the unsalted animals were found rough of coat, 
the hair falling off in spots, the eyes wild, and the flesh hardly 
half the amount of those naturally fed. 

A class of extreme Grahamities in this country decry the 
use of salt, as well as any form of animal food; and I may add 
that the expression of their thought, in both written and spoken 
speech, is as savorless as their diet. 

Salt exists, as we have already found, in the blood; the 
craving for it is a universal instinct, even buffaloes making 
tong journeys across the plains to the salt-licks, and its use 
not only gives character to insipid food, but increases the flow 
3f the gastric juice. 

Black pepper, if used profusely, as is often done in Ameri- 
can cooking, becomes an irritant, and produces indigestion. 
Red pepper, or cayenne, on the contrary, is a useful stimulant 
at times; but, as with mustard, any overuse irritates the lining 
of the stomach. 

So with spices and sweet herbs. There should be only 
such use of them as will flavor well, delicately, and almost im- 
perceptibly. No one flavor should predominate, and only a 
sense of general savoriness rule. Extracts, as of vanilla, lemon, 
bitter almond, etc., should be used with the greatest care, and 
if possible always be added to an article after it cools, as the 
heat wastes the strength. Tea is valuable chiefly for its warm- 
ing and comforting qualities. Taken in moderation, it acts 
partly as a sedative, partly as a stimulant, arresting the de- 
struction of tissue, and seeming to invigorate the whole nervous 
system. The water in it, even if impure, is made wholesome 
by boiling, and the milk and sugar give a certain amount of 
real nourishment. Nervous headaches are often cured by it, 
and it has, like coffee, been used as an antidote in opium-pois- 
oning 

Pass beyond the point of moderation, and it becomes an 
irritant, precisely in the same way that an overdose of mor- 
phine will, instead of putting to sleep, for just so much longer 
time prevent any sleep at all. The woman who cannot eat, 
and who braces her nerves with a cup of green-tea, — the most 
powerful form of the herb, — is doing a deeper wrong than she 






102 HOUSEHOLD. 

may be able to believe. The immediate effect is delightful. 
Lightness, exhilaration, and sense of energy are all there; but 
the reaction comes surely, and only a stronger dose next time 
accomplishes the end desired. Nervous headaches, hysteria 
in its thousand forms, palpitations, and the long train of ner- 
vous symptoms, own inordinate tea and coffee drinking as 
their parent. Taken in reasonable amounts, tea can not be 
said to be hurtful; and the medium qualities, carefully pre- 
pared, often make a more wholesome tea than that of the high- 
est price, the harmful properties being strongest in the best. 
If the water is soft, it should be used as soon as boiled, boiling 
causing all the gases which give flavor to water to escape. In 
hard water, boiling softens it. In all cases the water must be 
fresh, and poured boiling upon the proper portion of tea, the 
teapot having first been well scalded with boiling water. Never 
boil any tea but English breakfast tea; for all others, simple 
steeping gives the drink in perfection. 

The most valuable property of coffee is its power of reliev- 
ing the sensation of hunger and fatigue. To the soldier on 
active service, nothing can take its place; and in our own 
army it became the custom often, not only to drink the 
infusion, but, if on a hard march, to eat the grounds also. In 
all cases it diminishes the waste of tissue. In hot weather it is 
too heating and stimulating, acting powerfully upon the liver, 
and, by producing over-activity of that organ, bringing about 
a general disturbance. 

So many adulterations are found in ground coffee that it 
is safest for the real coffee-lover to buy the bean whole. 
Roasting is usually more perfectly done at the grocers', in 
their rotary roasters, which give every grain its turn; but, by 
care "and constant stirring, it can be accomplished at home. 
Too much boiling dissipates the delicious aroma we all know; 
and the best methods are considered to be those which allow 
no boiling, after boiling water has been poured upon it, but 
merely a standing to infuse and settle. The old fashion, how- 
ever, of mixing with an egg, and boiling a few minutes, makes 
a coffee hardly inferior in flavor. In fact, the methods are 
many, but results, under given conditions, much the same; 
and we may choose urn or old-fashioned tin pot, or a French 






HOUSEHOLD. 103 

biggin, with the certainty that good coffee, well roasted, boiling 
water, and good judgement as to time, will give always a 
delicious drink. Make a note of the fact that long boiling 
sets free tannic acid, powerful enough to literally tan the 
coats of the stomach, and bring on incurable dyspepsia. 
Often coffee without milk can be taken, where, with milk, it 
proves harmful; but, in all cases, moderation must rule. Taken 
too strong, palpitation of the heart, vertigo, and fainting are the 
usual consequences. 

In chocolate — a preparation of cocoa — the cocoa is carefully 
dried and roasted, and then ground to a smooth paste, the nuts 
being placed on a hot iron plate, and so keeping the oily 
matter to aid in forming a paste. Sugar and flavorings, as 
vanilla, are often added, and the whole pressed into cakes. 
The whole substance of the nut being used, it is exceedingly 
nutritious, and made more so by the milk and sugar added. 
Eaten with bread, it forms not only a nourishing but a hearty 
meal; and so condensed is its form, that a small cake carried 
in traveling, and eaten with a cracker or two, will give tempor- 
arily the effect of a full meal. 

Alcohol is last upon our list, and scientific men are still 
uncertain whether or not it can in any degree be considered as 
a food; but we have not room for the various arguments for 
and against. You all know, in part, at least, the effects of 
intemperance; and even the moderate daily drinker suffers 
from clouded mind, irritable nerves, and ruined digestion. 

This is not meant as an argument for total abstinence; but 
there are cases where such abstinence is the only rule. In an 
inherited tendency to drink, there is no other safe road.; but 
to the man or woman who lives by law, and whose body is in 
the best condition, wine in its many forms is a permissible 
occasional luxury, and so with beer and cider and the wider 
range of domestic drinks. In old age its use is almost essen- 
tial, but always in moderation, individual temperament modi- 
fying every rule, and making the best knowledge an imperative 
need. A little alcoholic drink increases a delicate appetite; a 
great deal diminishes or takes it away entirely, and also hin- 
ders, and, in many cases, stops, digestion altogether. In its 
constant over-use the membranes of the stomach are gradually 



i m 



104 HOUSEHOLD. 

destroyed, and every organ in the body suffers. In ales and 
beers there is not only alcohol, but much nitrogeneous and 
sugary matter, very fattening in its nature. A light beer, well 
flavored with hops, is an aid to digestion, but taken in excess 
produces biliousness. The long list of alcoholic products it is 
not necessary to give, nor is it possible to enter into much 
detail regarding alcohol itself. ' 

Soyer's Cafe au Lait. — One cup' of best ' coffee," freshly 
roasted, but unground, two cups of boiling water, one quart of 
foiling milk. Put the coffee in a clean, dry kettle, or tin pail; 
ft: on a close top, and set in a sauce-pan of boiling water. 
•Shake it every few minutes, without opening it, until you judge 
that the coffee grains must be heated through. If, on lifting 
#ie cover, you find that the contents of the inner vessel are 
very hot and smoking, pour over them the boiling water 
directly from the tea-kettle. Cover the inner vessel closely, 
and set on the side of the range, where it will keep very hot, 
without boiling, for twenty minutes. Then add the boiling 
milk; let all stand together for five minutes more, and strain 
through thin muslin into the coffee urn. Use loaf sugars for 
sweetening. 

Vienna Coffee. — With very little extra trouble morning cof- 
fee can be greatly improved. Beat the white of an egg to a 
stiff froth, mix with an equal quantity of whipped cream, and 
use in coffee instead of cream* put in cream first, then coffee, 
and lastly this mixture. 

Good New England Coffee.— For a family of six, take six 
large tablespoOnfuls of best Java coffee, well browned and 
ground (not too fine), beat into it half an egg and one cup of 
cold water. After it is thoroughly beaten, let it stand half an 
hour well covered. Then put into coffee-pot, pour on two and 
a half quarts of boiling water and put on the stove; stir once 
or twice at first, to prevent burning. Let it scald fifteen or 
twenty minutes. If desired to be very nice, beat up eight 
instead of six tablespoonfuls of coffee; put six in the pot to 
boil for twenty minutes, and about five minutes before it is 
done, throw in the rest and cover quickly. 

Cream and Milk for Coffee. — Sweet, rich cream, well beaten 
to free from lumps, is best for coffee, but boiling fresh milk <s 



HOUSEHOLD 105 

a good substitute. The white of an egg, thoroughly beaten 
and added (California coffee) to thin cream or rich milk, is also 
very fine. 

Tea.— Tea is made variously as the taste of people require. 
Black, green, Japan, and English breakfast, all require differ- 
ent methods. For green or Japan tea, scald the tea-pot and 
allow from one-half to one teaspoonful for each person, as the 
strength of the herb may indicate. Pour over this one-half a 
cup of boiling water, steep in a hot place (but do not let it boiil) 
ten minutes, then turn in water at a keen boil, in proportion 
one quart to every three persons. 

English Breakfast, or Oolong. — Take two teaspoonfuls lor 
three persons, and proceed as above, only letting the tea boil 
for ten minutes. 

An English gentleman, whose tea was quite famous, put it 
to steep in cold water, as soon as the one o'clock dinner was 
over, and left it steeping until supper time, when it was brought 
to a boil. Others put it on to steep when the fire is made for 
supper, and let it stand until the meal is announced; served 
boiling hot. 

Iced Tea. — To each glass of tea add the juice of half a 
lemon; fill up the glass with pounded ice, and sweeten. 

Chocolate. — Four heaping tablespoonfuls grated chocolate, 
one of sugar, and wet with one of boiling water; rub this 
smooth. Then stir into one pint of boiling water; then add 
one pint of boiling milk. Let this boil three minutes. It is 
greatly improved by milling, while boiling, with a Dover egg- 
beater. If desired sweet, add to the boiling milk one heaping, 
teaspoonful of sugar. 

A dainty addition is two tablespoonfuls of whipped cream, 
that has been sweetened and flavored with vanilla, laid on the 
top of each cup. 

Stock and Seasoning.— The preparation called stock is, f 01 
some inscrutable reason, a stumbling-block to average cooks, 
and even by experienced housekeepers is often looked upon as 
troublesome and expensive. Where large amounts of fresh 
meat are used in its preparation, the latter adjective might be 
appropriate; but stock in reality is the only mode by which 



106 HOUSEHOLD 

every scrap of bone or meal, whether cooked or uncooked, can 
be made to yield the last particle of nourishment contained in 
it. Properly , prepared and strained into a stone jar, it will 
keep a week, and is useful in the making of hashes and gravies 
as in soup itself. 

The first essential is a tightly-covered kettle, either tinned 
iron or porcelain lined, holding not less than two gallons, three 
being a preferable size. Whether cooked or uncooked meat is 
used, it should be cut into small bits, and all bones broken or 
sawn into short pieces, that the marrow may be easily ex- 
tracted. 

To every pound of meat and bone allow one quart of cold 
water, one even teaspoonful of salt, and half a saltspoonful of 
pepper. Let the meat stand till the water is slightly colored 
with its juice; then put upon the fire, and let it come slowly to 
a boil, skimming off every particle of scum as it rises. The 
least neglect of this point will give a broth in which bits of 
dark slime float about, unpleasant to sight and taste. A cup 
of cold water, thrown in as the kettle boils, will make the scum 
rise more freely. Let it boil steadily, but very slowly, allow- 
ing an hour to each pound of meat. The water will boil away 
leaving, at the end of the time specified, not more than half or 
one-third the original amount. In winter this will become a 
firm jelly, which can be used by simply melting it, thus obtain- 
ing a strong, clear broth; or can be diluted with an equal 
quantity of water, and vegetables added for a vegetable soup. 

The meat used in stock, if boiled the full length of time 
given, has parted with all its juices, and is therefore useless as 
food. If wanted for hashes or croquettes, the portion needed 
should be taken out as soon as tender, and a pint of the stock 
with it, to use as gravy. Strain, when done, into a stone pot 
'or crock kept for that purpose, and, when cold, remove the 
cake of fat which will rise to the top. This fat, melted and 
strained, serves for many purposes better than lard. If the 
stock is to be kept for several days, leave the fat on till ready 
to use it. 

Fresh and cooked meat may be used together, and all re- 
mains of poultry or game, and trimmings of chops and steaks, 
mav be added, mutton being the only meat which can not as 



HOUSEHOLD. 107 

well be used in combination; though even this, by trimming off 
all the fat, may also be added. If it is intended to keep the 
stock for some days, no vegetables should be added, as vegeta- 
ble juices ferment very easily. For clear soups they must be 
cooked with the meat; and directions will be given under that 
head for amounts and seasonings. 

The secret of a savory soup lies in many flavors, none of 
•which are allowed to predominate; and, minutely as rules for 
such flavoring may be given, only careful and frequent tasting 
will insure success. Every vegetable, spice, and sweet herb, 
curry-powders, catchups, sauces, dried or fresh lemon peel, can 
be used; and the simple stock, by the addition of these various 
ingredients, becomes the myriad number of soups to be found 
in the pages of great cooking manuals like Gouffee's or Fran- 
catelli's. 

Brown Soups are made by frying the meat or game used in 
them till thoroughly brown on all sides, and using dark spices 
or sauces in their seasoning. 

White Soups are made with light meats, and often with the 
addition of milk or cream. 

Purees are merely thick soups strained carefully before 
serving, and made usually of some vegetable which thickens in 
boiling, as beans, peas, &c, though there are several forms of 
.fish purees in which the foundation is thickened milk, to which 
the fish is added, and the whole then rubbed through a com- 
mon sieve, if a regular puree sieve is not to be had. 

Browned flour is often used for coloring, but does not 
thicken a soup, as, in browning a, the starchy portion has been 
destroyed; and it will not therefore mix, but settles at the bot- 
tom. Burned sugar or caramel makes a better coloring, and 
fclso adds flavor. With clear soups grated cheese is often served, 
tither Parmesan or any rich cheese being used. Onions give a 
better flavor if they are fried in a little butter or dripping be- 
fore using, and many professional cooks fry all soup vegetables 
lightly. Cabbage and potatoes should be parboiled in a sepa- 
rate water before adding to a soup. In using wine or catchup, 
add only at the last moment, as boiling dissipates the flavor. 
Unless a thick vegetable soup is desired, always strain into the 
tureen. Rice, sago, macaroni, or any cereal may be used as 



108 HOUSEHOLD. 

thickening; the amounts required being found under the dif- 
ferent headings. Careful skimming, long boiling, and as care- 
ful removing of fat, will secure a broth especially desirable as 
a food for children and the old, but almost equally so for any 
age; while many fragments, otherwise entirely useless, discover 
themselves as savory and nutritious parts of the day's supply 
of food. 

RECIPES. 

Soups. — Beef Soup with Vegetables. — For this very ex- 
cellent soup take two quarts of stock prepared before hand, as 
already directed. If the stock is a jelly, as will usually be the 
case in winter, an amount sufficient to fill a quart measure can 
be diluted with a pint of water, and will then be rich enough. 
Add to this one small carrot, a turnip, a small parsnip, and two 
onions; all chopped fine; a cupful of chopped cabbage; two 
tablespoonfuls of barley or rice; and either six fresh tomatoes 
sliced, or a small can of sealed ones. Boil gently at least one 
hour: then add one saltspoonful each of pepper, curry powder 
and clove. If the stock has been salted properly, no more will 
be needed; but tasting is essential to secure just the right fla- 
vors. Boil a few minutes longer, and serve without straining. 

This is an especially savory and hearty soup, and the com- 
binations of vegetables may be varied indefinitely. A cup of 
chopped celery is an exceedingly nice addition, or, if this is not 
to be had, a teaspoonful of celery salt, or a saltspoonful of cel- 
ery seed. A lemon may also be sliced thin, and added at the 
last. When tomatoes are used, a little sugar is always an im- 
provement; in this case an even tablespoonful being sufficient. 
If a thicker broth is desired, one heaped tablespoonful of corn- 
starch or flour may be first dissolved in a little cold water; then 
a cup of the hot jroth gradually mixed with it, and the whole 
added to the soup and boiled for five minutes. 

Perfect Mock Turtle Soup. — Endeavor to have the 
head and the broth ready for the soup, the day before it is to 
be eaten. It will take eight hours to prepare it properly. 

Hours. 

Cleaning and soaking the head „ 1 

To parboil it to cut up 1 

Cooling, nearly 1 

Making-tae broth and finishing the soup ....5 

*8 



.r^T 7 '-? 



HOUSEHOLD. 109 

G it a calf's head with the skin on (the fresher the better); 
take cat the brains, wash the head several times in cold water, 
iet it soak for about an hour in spring water, then lay it in a 
stewpan, and cover it with cold water, and half a gallon over; 
as it becomes warm, a great deal of scum will rise, which must 
be immediately removed; let it boil gently for one hour, take it 
up, and, when almost cold, cut the head into pieces about an 
inch and a half by an inch and a quarter, and the tongue into 
mouthfuls; or rather make a side dish of the tongue and brains. 

When the head is taken out, put in the stock meat (about 
five pounds of knuckle of veal), and as much beef; add to the 
stock all the trimmings and bones of the head; skim it well, 
and then cover it close and let it boil five hours (reserve a 
couple of quarts of this to make gravy sauces) ; then strain it 
off and let it stand till the next morning; then take off the fat, 
set a large stewpan on the fire with half a pound of good fresh 
b utter, twelve ounces of onions sliced, and four ounces of green 
sage; chop it a little; let these fry an hour; then rub in half 
a pound of flour, and by degrees add] your broth till it is the 
thickness of cream; season it with a quarter of an ounce of 
ground allspice, and half an ounce of black pepper ground very 
fine, salt to your taste, and the rind of one lemon peeled very 
thin; let it simmer very gently for an hour and a half, then 
strain it through a hair sieve; do not rub your soup to get it 
through the sieve, or it will make it grouty; if it does not run 
through easily, knock your wooden spoon against the side of 
your sieve; put it in a clean stewpan with the head, and season 
it by adding to each gallon of soup two tablespoonfuls of 
Tarragon vinegar, and two tablespoonfuls of lemon juice; let 
It simmer gently till the meat is tender; this may take from half 
an hour to an hour; take care it is not overdone; stir it 
frequently to prevent the meat sticking to the bottom of the 
stewpan, and when the meat is quite tender the soup is ready. 

A head weighing twenty pounds, and ten pounds of stock 
meat, will make ten quarts of excellent soup, besides the two 
quarts of stock you have put by for made dishes. 

Observations. — If there is more meat on the head than 
you wish to put in the soup, prepare it for a pie, with the addi- 
tion of a calf's foot boiled tender; it will make an excellent 



110 HOUSEHOLD. 

ragout pie; season it with zest and a little minced onion put 
in half a teacupful of stock, cover it with puff paste, and bake 
it one hour; when the soup comes from table, if there is a deal 
of meat and no soup, put it into a pie dish, season it a little, 
and add some little stock to it; then cover it with paste, bake 
it one hour, and you have a good mock-turtle pie. 

To Season the Soup.— To each gallon put four table- 
spoonfuls of lemon juice, two of mushroom catsup, and one 
teaspoonful of mace, a teaspoonful of curry powder, or a quar- 
ter of a drachm of cayenne, and the peel of a lemon pared as 
thin as possible; let it simmer for five minutes more, take out 
the lemon peel, add the yolks of four hard boiled eggs, and 
the soup is ready for the tureen. 

While the soup is doing, prepare for each tureen a dozen 
and a half of mock-turtle forcemeat balls, and put them into 
the tureen. Brain balls, or cakes, are a very elegant addition, 
and are made by boiling the brains for ten minutes, then put- 
ting them in cold water and cutting them into pieces about as 
big as a large nutmeg; take savory or lemon thyme dried and 
finely powdered nutmeg grated, and pepper and salt, and 
pound them all together; beat up an egg, dip the brains in it, 
and then roll them in this mixture, and make as much of it 
as possible stick to them; dip them in the egg again, and then 
in finely grated and sifted bread crumbs; fry them in hot fat, 
and send them up as a side-dish. 

A veal sweet bread, not too much done or it will break, cut 
into pieces the same size as you cut the calf's head, and put in 
the soup just to get warm'before it goes to the table, is a superb 
" bonne bouche/ % and pickled tongue, stewed till very tender, 
and cut into mouthfuls, is a favorite addition. We order the 
meat to be cut into mouthfuls that it may be eaten with a spoon; 
the knife and fork have no business in a soup plate. 

N. B. — In helping this soup, the distributer of it should 
serve out the meat, forcemeat and gravy in equal parts; how- 
ever trifling and needless this remark may appear, the writer 
has often suffered from the want of such a hint being given to 
the soup-server, who has sometimes sent a plate of more gravy 
without meat, at others, of meat without gravy, and sometimes 
scarcely anything but forcemeat balls. 



HOUSEHOLD. Ill 

Observations.- — This is a delicious soup within the reach 
of those who " eat to live;" but if it had been composed 
expressly for those who only " live to eat," I do not know how 
it could have been more agreeable; as it is, the lover of good 
eating will "wish his throat a mile long, and every inch of 
it a palate." 

Summer or Winter Corn Soup. — Boil a leg of mutton 
or shank of beef in six quarts of water for four hours. 
After the meat and fat have been removed (it is better to stand 
over one day to cool, so that the grease may all be taken off), 
add a quart or more of sweet corn nicely cut from the cob, and 
boil twenty or thirty minutes. In cutting the, corn (with a sharp 
knife) take off only the point of the kernels, and scrape the 
milk or pulp, thus avoiding the hull or skin, which is indigesti- 
ble and unpalatable. Just before serving, add to the soup a 
coffee-cup of cream, with two tablespoonfuls of flour stirred 
smoothly in and boil for a minute. This can be made in win- 
ter by using the Yarmouth canned corn or the dried corn soaked 
over night, and boiled till tender. 

Corn Soup. — Cut the grains from twelve ears of sweet 
corn and scrape the milk; add one pint of water. Let it boil 
until quite done — thirty to forty minutes — then add two quarts 
of new milk, and when it boils stir in one-quarter pound of 
butter rubbed into two tablespoonfuls of flour, pepper and salt. 
Beat the yolks of two eggs in the tureen and pour the soup in 
boiling, stirring all the time. 

Turkey Soup. — Place the rack of a cold turkey and what 
remains of dressing or gravy in a pot, and cover with cold 
water. Simmer gently three or four hours, and let it stand 
until the next day. Take off what fat may have risen, and 
take out with a skimmer all the bits of bones. Put the soup on 
to heat till boiling, then thicken slightly with flour wet up in 
water, and season to the taste. Pick off all the turkey from 
the bones, put them in the soup, boil up and serve. 

Calf's Head Soup.— Take the head, pluck and feet. Put 
them into a pot with cold water. Be careful to skim well when 
it boils. Chop a dozen small onions and let them all boil 
together until the meat cleaves from the bones. Then strain 



112 HOUSEHOLD. 

it. After putting the liquor into the pot again, add thyme, 
cloves, salt, pepper and cayenne to your taste. But all the 
meat from the head and feet, half the liver and lights, the 
whole of the heart and tongue; put all into the pot and boil 
about three-quarters of an hour. Before it is done take half a 
pound of butter with as much flour as will make into balls; 
stir until dissolved. Then add two tablespoonfuls of tar- 
ragon vinegar, four hard boiled eggs cut in slices, and a 
lemon to improve the flavor. This will make two gallons, 
and may be kept several weeks, to be used as occasion 
requires. 

Tomato Soup. — One quart of water, eight good-sized ripe 
tomatoes cut up; boil twenty minutes and add one half tea- 
spoonful of soda; then boil and add one pint or more of milk, 
and season as you do oysters. 

Black Bean Soup. — One quart of black beans, soaked 
over night in four quarts of water, one pound of beef, half 
pound of salt pork. Grate one large or two small carrots, and 
slice one large onion, and add to the beans and the water in 
which they were soaked. Boil all together for three or four 
hours, then strain through a colander. When in the tureen add 
one tablespoonful of mushroom sauce, one sliced lemon and 
one sliced or chopped boiled egg. 

Pea Soup. — Soak one quart of peas (split, if you can get 
them) over night; next morning early put them over the fire 
with one pound of corned beef or pork (beef is the best to my 
taste, however), and let them boil hard for three hours. Then 
add a chopped carrot and turnip, and an onion, if liked, a tea- 
spoonful of celery seed or a handful of celery tops, and boil 
another hour or more; then strain through a sieve, season with 
pepper, and cut up two thin slices of toasted bread in the shape 
of small dice; put in the tureen, turn on your soup and serve. 
A cup of milk boiled in it for twenty minutes is .an improve- 
ment. Small, white beans can be substituted for peas and made 
in the same manner. 

Oyster'Soup. — For four cans of oysters, have twelve crack- 
ers rolled fine, two quarts of boiling water, one pint of good 
rich milk. Let the milk and water come to a boil, add the 
crackers, salt and pepper, boil one minute briskly; pour in the 



HOUSEHOLD. 113 

oysters and let all come to a scald; add about a quarter of a 
pound of butter as they are poured into a tureen. 

Oyster Soup, No. 2. — To one quart of oysters add one 
quart of water; pour the water on the oysters and stir them; 
take them out one at a time, so that no small particle of shell 
may adhere to them; strain the liquor through a sieve and put 
it in a stew-pan over the fire, with two or three blades of mace, 
and season with red pepper and salt to taste; when this boils 
put in your oysters, add a teaspoonful of flour rubbed to a 
paste with one ounce of butter; let them scald again, then add 
one half pint of cream and serve hot. 

Fish. — The most essential point in choosing fish is their 
freshness, and this is determined as follows: If the gills are 
red, the eyes prominent and full, and the whole fish stiff, they 
are good; but if the eyes are sunken, the gills pale and the flesh 
flabby, they are stale and unwholesome, and, though often 
eaten in this condition, lack all the fine flavor of a freshly- 
caught fish. 

The fish being chosen, the greatest care is necessary in 
cleaning. If this is properly done, one washing will be suffici- 
ent.; the custom of allowing fresh fish to lie in water after 
cleaning destroys much of their flavor. 

Fresh-water fish, especially the cat-fish, have often a muddy 
taste and smell. To get rid of this, soak in water strongly 
salted; say a cupful of salt to a gallon of water, letting it heat 
gradually in this, and boiling it for one minute; then drying it 
thoroughly before cooking. 

All fish for boiling should be put into cold water, with the 
exception of salmon, which loses its color unless put into boil- 
ing water. A tablespoonful each of salt and vinegar to every 
two quarts of water improves the flavor of all boiled fish, and 
also makes the flesh firmer. Allow ten minutes to the pound 
after the fish begins to boil, and test with a knitting needle or 
sharp skewer. If it runs in easily, the flesh can be taken off. 
If a fish-kettle with strainer is used, the fish can be lifted out 
without danger of breaking. If not, it should be thoroughly 
dredged with flour, and served in a cloth kept for the purpose. 
In all cases drain it perfectly, and send to table on a folded 
napkin laid upon the platter 



114 HOUSEHOLD. 

In frying, fish should, like all fried articles, be immersed in 
the hot lard or drippings. Small fish can be fried whole; 
larger ones boned, and cut in small pieces. If they are egged 
and crumbed, the egg will form a covering, hardening at once, 
and absolutely impervious to fat. 

Pan-fish, as they are called — flounders and small fish gen- 
erally — can also be fried by rolling in Indian meal or flour, and 
browning in the fat of salt pork. 

Baking and broiling preserve the flavor most thoroughly. 

Cold boiled fish can always be used, either by spicing as in 
the rule to be given, or by warming again in a little butter and 
water. Cold fried or boiled fish can be put in a pan, and set 
in the oven till hot; this requiring not over ten minutes; a 
longer time giving a strong oily taste, which spoils it. Plain 
boiled or mashed potatoes are always served with fish where 
used as a dinner course. If fish is boiled whole, do not cut off 
either tail or head. The tail can be skewered in the mouth if 
liked; or a large fish may be boiled in the shape of a letter S 
by threading a trussing-needle, fastening a string around the 
head, then passing the needle through the middle of the body, 
drawing the string tight, and fastening it around the tail. 

To Fry or Broil Fish Properly. — After the fish is well 
cleansed, lay it on a folded towel and dry out all the water. 
When well wiped and dry, roll it in wheat flour, rolled crackers, 
grated stale bread, or Indian meal, whichever may be preferred; 
wheat flour will generally be liked. 

Have a thick-bottomed frying-pan or spider with plenty of 
sweet lard salted (a tablespoonful of salt to each pound of 
lard), for fresh fish which have not been previously salted; let 
it become boiling hot, then lay the fish in and let it fry gently, 
until one side is a delicate brown, then turn the other; when 
both are done take it up carefully and serve quickly, and keep 
it covered with a tin cover, and set the dish where it will 
keep hot. 

To Broil. — Have a clean gridiron, and a clear but not 
fierce fire of coais; rub the bars with a bit of beef suet, that 
the fish may not stick; fish must be broiled gently and 
"horoughly. There are few things more offensive than undone 



HOUSEHOLD. 115 

For the broil, have ready a dish with a good bit of butter 
in which is worked a little salt and pepper, enough for the 
fish. Lay the fish upon it, when both sides are nicely done, 
and with a knife-blade put the butter over every part; fish 
should be turned with a broad-bladed knife or a pancake 
turner. 

All salt fish require to be soaked in cold water before cook- 
ing, according to the time it has been in salt. When it is hard 
and dry it will require thirty-six hours soaking before dressing; 
the water must be changed three or four times. When fish is 
not very salt or hard, twenty-four hours will be sufficient. 

For frying fish, beef suet or dripping or sweet oil may be 
used in place of lard. Butter is not good; it spoils the color 
and tastes strong. 

Fish have a fine appearance prepared in the following man- 
ner: Clean and wash them, and wipe them dry with a nice 
soft towel; then wet them over with beaten egg, and dip them 
in bread crumbs or rolled crackers. If done twice over with 
egg and cracker or crumbs, it will have a finer appearance. 

The largest sized pan fish, weighing nearly or quite a 
pound each, should be scored or cut across each side from the 
head to the tail, nearly to the bone, and about an inch apart, 
that it may be well done. Garnish with sprigs of parsley. 
Have ready a thick-bottomed frying pan, with plenty of lard 
salted; let it become boiling hot; lay the fish carefully in and 
let them fry gently, until one side is a rich yellow brown, then 
turn the other and do likewise; when both are done, take them 
carefully up on a hot dish and serve. Garnish with fried parsley. 

Dried Codfish. — This should always be laid in soak, at 
least one night before it is wanted; then take off the skin and 
put it in plenty of cold water; boil it gently (skimming it 
meanwhile) for one hour, or tie it in a cloth and boil it. Serve 
it with egg sauce; garnish with hard boiled eggs cut in slices, 
and sprigs of parsley. Serve plain boiled or mashed potatoes 
with it. 

I Stewed Salt Cod. — Scald some soaked cod by putting it 
over the fire in boiling water for ten minutes; then scrape it 
white, pick it in flakes, and put it in a stewpan, with a table- 
spoonful of butter worked into the same of flour, and as 



116 HOUSEHOLD. 

much milk as will moisten it; let it stew gently for ten minutes; 
add pepper to taste, and serve hot; put it in a deep dish, slice 
hard boiled eggs over it, and sprigs of parsley around the edge. 
This is a nice relish for breakfast, with coffee and tea, and 
rolls or toast. 

Codfish Cakes. — First boil soaked cod, then chop it fine, 
put to it an equal quantity of potatoes boiled and mashed; 
moisten it with beaten eggs or milk, and a bit of butter and a 
little pepper; form it in round small cakes, rather more than 
half an inch thick, flour the outside, and fry in hot butter or 
beef drippings until a' delicate brown. Like fish, these must be 
fried gently, the lard being boiling hot when they are put in; 
when one side is done turn the other. Serve for breakfast. 

To Bake a Dish of Cold Boiled Cod. — Chop fine some 
cold boiled cod, put to it an equal quantity or more of boiled 
potatoes chopped and mashed; add a good bit of butter and 
milk to make it moist, and put it in a stewpan over a gentle 
fire; cover it, and stir it frequently until it is thoroughly 
heated, taking care that it does not burn; then take it up, 
make it in a roll or any other form, mark the surface, take a 
pinch of ground pepper between your finger and thumb, and 
put spots at equal distances over it; or wet it over with melted 
butter, and brown it in an oven before the fire. 

Fresh Cod. — Fresh cod, when good, are firm, and the 
gills red, and the eyes are full; if at all soft and flabby it is 
not good. A fine fish is thick at the back; the shoulder or 
piece near the head of a large cod is better for boiling than 
a small fish. 

To Boil Fresh Cod. — If you have not a fish kettle, 
after cleaning the *fish properly, lay it on a plate in a circle, 
and tie a clean towel about it; to a gallon of hot water put 
a tablespoonful of salt and a gill of vinegar; put in the fish 
and boil according to'' its weight. Serve with plain boiled 
potatoes and drawn butter, parsley, or egg sauce. Garnish 
with sprigs of parsley. Lay a folded napkin on the dish under 
the fish. 

Fried Codfish Steaks. — Cut the fish in steaks of adout 



HOUSEHOLD. 11? 

one inch thickness; or it may be split as for broiling; dip each 
piece in wheat flour or rolled cracker, or Indian meal; have 
some lard, (which is salted in proportion, a tablespoonful of 
salt to a pound,) let it become boiling hot in a frying pan; lay 
in the steaks; let them fry gently, without stirring them, until 
one side is a fine brown, then turn each steak carefully with a 
broad knife; when both sides are done, serve hot, with sprigs 
of parsley over it. 

Baked Cod. — Clean a good sized fish, weighing four or five 
pounds; wash it and dry it well in a cloth; rub it inside and 
out with a mixture of pepper and salt; cut a slice from a loaf 
of bread, spread it thickly with butter; moisten it with hot 
water, and fill the body of the fish; tie a thread around it to 
keep the dressing in, then put bits of butter, the size of a 
hickory nut, all over the surface; dredge flour over it until 
it looks white; then lay a trivet on some muffin rings in a 
dripping-pan, and lay the fish on; put in a pint of water to 
baste with, then put it in a hot oven, and baste frequently; in 
one hour it will be done. Take it up on a hot dish, add a gill 
of vinegar to the gravy, or a lemon cut in very thin slices; 
dredge in a little flour; let it boil up once; stir it well; add a 
very little hot water if necessary, then strain into a gravy-boat, 
lay the slice over the fish, and serve. 

Haddock. — These are chosen and dressed the same as cod. 

Shad. — These are in season from the last of March until 
May; they are chosen by the same rules as other fish. 

These fish may be fried, baked, boiled or salted. 

Fried Shad. — Scale the fish, and cut off the head, then 
split it open down the back, at the side of the backbone; take 
out the entrails; keep the roe or eggs to be fried with the fish; 
then cut it in two from head to tail, and cut each side in pieces 
two or three inches wide; rinse them in cold water, wipe them 
dry, and dip each in wheat flour, and fry in salted lard; when 
the inside, which must always be cooked first (of any fish), is 
done a fine brown, turn the other; the fat must be boiling hot 
when the fish is put in, and then fried gently, that it may not 
be too dark colored. 

Broiled Shad. — Cut the fish the same as for frying, or 






118 . HOUSEHOLD. 

merely split it in two; lay it on a gridiron over a bright steady 
fire of coals; let it broil gently; put the inside to the fire first 
that it may be done through; have ready a steak dish with 
nearly a quarter of a pound of sweet butter, and a teaspoonful 
of salt and pepper each, worked into it; when both sides of the 
fish are done, lay it on the dish, turn it several times in the but- 
ter, cover it with a tin cover and set the dish where it will keep 
hot, until ready to serve. 

Baked Shad. — Scale the shad clean, cut off the head, and 
split the fish half way down the back; scrape the inside per- 
fectly clean; make a stuffing thus: Cut two slices of a baker's 
loaf of wheat bread, spread each thickly with butter; sprinkle 
with pepper and salt, and a little pounded sage if liked; mois- 
ten it with hot water; fill the belly with this; wind a cord 
around it to keep in the stuffing, dredge the outside well with 
flour; stick bits of butter, the size of a hickory nut, all over 
outside; mix a teaspoonful each of salt and pepper together, 
and sprinkle it all over the whole surface; then lay the fish on 
a trivet or muffin rings in a dripping pan; put in a pint of 
water to baste with, and keep the gravy from burning; if this all 
wastes before the fish is done, add more hot water; bake for 
one hour in a quick oven; baste frequently. When done, take 
the fish on a steak dish; if there is not enough gravy in the pan 
(there should be at least half a pint), add more hot water; dredge 
in a heaping teaspoonful of flour, then put to it a bit 
of butter, and, if liked, a lemon sliced thin, and the seeds taken 
out. Stir it smooth with a spoon, and pour it through a gravy- 
strainer into a gravy-boat; lay the slices of lemon over the fish, 
and serve with mashed potatoes. 

To Fry Black Fish. — Scale the fish, and scrape the in- 
side clean to the backbone; wash in water, with a little vine- 
gar; wipe it dry with a clean towel; then dip it in wheat flour, 
or rolled crackers. Have in a thick-bottomed frying pan plenty 
of lard salted (a large tablespoonful of salt to a pound of lard) t 
let it become boiling hot; then lay in the fish and fry it gently, 
until one side is a fine brown; then turn it carefully. Whet 
both sides are done, take it up and serve. 

Fried fish may be garnished or ornamented wftfc sprigs of 
green or fried parsley, or thin slices of lemon, sliced. 



HOUSEHOLD. 119 

Stewed Black Fish. — Put a fish weighing abou five 
pounds on a fish-drainer; after having properly cleansed it, put 
it into the fish-kettle with hot water to cover it; add to it a few 
blades of mace, a large teaspoonful of salt, and a wineglass of 
port wine; let it simmer or boil gently for half an hour; then 
skim it clear; work into a smooth mass a quarter of a pound of 
sweet butter, and a heaping tablespoonful of wheat flour; 
take from the fish part of the water in which it was boiled, 
leaving it scarcely covered; then add the flour and butter, with 
a teaspoonful of pepper; dip a bunch of parsley into boiling 
water, cut it small and add it to the stew; cover it close for 
twenty minutes, and let it simmer gently; then take the fish up 
on a dish, and serve with the gravy or sauce over. A sliced 
lemon without the pits may be added with the parsley by those 
who like it. Served with plain boiled or mashed potatoes. 
Black fish dressed in this manner is very delicious. 

Perch. — Clean these fish well, wash and wipe them dry, 
then fry them as directed 

Striped Bass. — These fish are best fried or boiled. See 

directions for boiling or frying fish. 

Halibut. — This fish is fine, whether cut in steaks and 
broiled or fried; or the thick part boiled. Fry or broil as 
directed for codfish. Steaks or fillets cut from the tail part are 
very fine, and may be fried or broiled more nicely than any 
other. 

To Boil Halibut. — Take a piece weighing four or five 
pounds, scrape the skin clean, dredge flour over it, and boil 
according to its weight — ten minutes to a pound. Serve with 
plain boiled potatoes, and drawn butter, or egg, or parsley 
sauce. Cold boiled halibut may be served the same as codfish; 
any of the sauce which may remain may be put with the cold 
fish. 

Salmon. — When salmon is fresh and good, the gills and 
flesh are of a bright red, the scales clear, and the fish stiff. 
When first caught, there is a whiteness between the flakes, 
which, by keeping, melts down, and the fish becomes richer. 
Salmon requires to be well broiled. When underdone it is 
unwholesome. 



120 HOUSEHOLD 

BROiLEr Salmon. — Cut some slices about an inch thick, 
and broil them over a gentle, bright fire of coals for ten or 
twelve minutes. When both sides are done, take them on to a 
hot dish; butter each slice v/ell with sweet butter; strew over 
each a little salt and pepper to taste, and serve. 

Spiced Salmon (Pickled). — Boil a salmon, and, after 
wiping it dry set it to cool; take of the water in which it was 
boiled, and good vinegar each equal parts, enough to cover it; 
add to it one dozen cloves, as many small blades of mace, or 
sliced nutmeg, one teaspoonful of whole pepper, and the same 
of allspice make it boiling hot, skim it clear, add a small bit of 
butter (the size of a small egg), and pour it over the fish; set it 
in a cool place. When cold it is fit for use and will keep a long 
time, covered close, in a cool place. Serve instead of pickled 
oysters for supper. A fresh cod is very nice done in the same 
manner; as is also a striped sea bass. 

Boiled Salmon. — Run a long needle with a packthread 
through the tail, centre and head of a fish, to bring it in the 
form of a letter S. Put it in a fish-kettle, with hot water to 
cover it, and a teaspoonful of rait (cut three or four slanting 
gashes in each side of the fish before making it into the form, 
otherwise the skin will break and disfigure it); allow ten min- 
utes gentle boiling for each pouud of fish. Or a piece of a 
large fish may be boiled. Serve with lobster, or anchovey, or 
draw butter sauce, and plain boiled or mashed potatoes. 

A Dish of Salt Salmon. — Salmon is often put down in 
brine. It is to be soaked and boiled, as directed for salt cod- 
fish, or it may be boiled for breakfast. Or pull off the skin, 
and pick in flakes the thickest side of a salmon; pour scalding 
hot water over it, let it stand for a few minutes; then pour At 
off; add to it enough milk or hot water to moisten it; put it 
over the fire and let it simmer for five minutes; then add a 
tablespoonful of butter, shake over it a little wheat flour and 
pepper to taste, stir it for a few minutes, and it is done. A fine 
relish for breakfast or supper. 

Eels. — Eels, to be good, must be as fresh caught as 
possible; skin them, cut off the heads, cut them open and scrape 
them clean to the back bone. 

For frying or boiling, the middle-sized fat ones are best* 



HOUSEHOLD. 121 

those caught in fresh water have a muddy taste, and should 
be put in salted water a short time before cooking. Eels may- 
be boiled and served with drawn butter or parsley sauce, and 
boiled potatoesr 

Fried Eels. — After cleaning the eels well, cut them in 
pieces two inches long; wash them and wipe them dry; roll 
them in wheat flour or rolled cracker, and fry as directed for 
other fish, in hot lard or beef dripping, salted. They should be 
browned all over and thoroughly done. 

Fresh Mackerel. — These fish to be good must be cooked 
as soon as possible after they are caught. They may be broiled, 
fried, or baked, the same as shad — also salted. 

Dried Mackerel. — Take fresh caught mackerel, scale 
them and cut them down the back to the tail; leave the heads 
on; then hang them by the tail in a cool place to drain; strew 
some salt on the bottom of the pan; sprinkle the fish plentifully 
with it, and lay them two by two, the insides together, in a pan ; 
let them lie twelve hours, then rinse off the salt and hang them 
to drain for half an hour, after which pepper the insides a little 
and lay them on stones, aslant towards the sun, to dry; take 
care never to put them out when the sun is not hot on them, 
nor until the stones are heated and dry; lay the insides to the 
sun — they will be perfectly cured in one week; stretch them, 
open with two sticks. Or, instead of drying, after having pre- 
pared them in this manner, smoke them. 

Salt Mackerel. — Split fresh caught mackerel down the 
back, scrape the inside clean, spread them open on a board, 
and strew them plentifully with salt; then strew salt over the 
bottom of a tub; lay the fish two by two, the insides together, 
and lay them in the tub; strew salt between each layer; half 
coarse and half fine salt; then cover them close — put plenty of 
salt above the last layer of fish. 

To Dress Salt Mackerel. — Take mackerel from the salt, 
and lay them inside downward in a pan of cold water for two 
or three days, change the water once or twice, and scrape the 
fish clean without breaking it. When fresh enough, wipe one 
dry and hang it in a cool place; then fry or broil, or lay one 
in a shallow pan, the inside of the fish down; cover it with hot 
water, and set it over a gentle fire or in an oven for twelve or 



122 HOUSEHOLD. 

fifteen minutes; then pour off the water, turn the fish, put bits 
of butter in the pan, and over the fish, sprinkle with pepper, 
and let it fry for five minutes, then dish it. 

Trout. — These may be stewed, fried, boiled, or baked. 

Pike or Pickerel. — These may be stewed, fried or 
broiled. 

There are many more fine fish not mentioned herein, but as 
the process of stewing, boiling, broiling, and frying is very 
nearly the same for all sorts of fish, it does not seem necessary 
to mention more. 

Herrings. — These are eaten in three varieties — fresh, 
salted, smoked, or red herrings. Salted herrings are to be 
soaked in clean water before boiling, the same as mackerel. 
Red herrings are to be skinned, split in two, and the insides 
and the backbone to be taken out; or they may first be broiled, 
then skinned. To cook fresh herrings, scale and prepare them 
the same as any other fish. 

Chowder. — Slice some salt pork very thin, strew it over 
with onions chopped small, and some fine pepper; then cut a 
haddock, fresh cod, or any other firm fish, in thin steaks; take 
out the bones; lay some of the sliced pork at the bottom of 
the kettle with some of the seasoning; then put a layer of fish, 
then put over some soaked crackers or biscuit, then another 
layer of the seasoned pork, after which fish and crackers and a 
few bits of butter, and so on alternately, pork, fish and crack- 
ers, until the kettle is two-thirds full; then put in about a pint 
of water, and cover the pot with a thick iron cover with a rim; 
set it over a gentle fire, put coals and ashes on the cover, and 
bake two or three hours, or more, if the pot is large. When 
done, turn it out on a dish and, serve with pickles. It may be 
baked in an oven. 

Shell Fish. — To Choose Lobsters. — These are chosen 
more by weight than size; the heaviest are best. A good small 
sized one will not unfrequently be found to weigh as heavily 
as one much larger. If fresh, a lobster will be found lively, 
and the claws have a strong motion when the eyes are pressed 
with the finger. Hen lobsters are preferred for sauce or salad, 
on account of their coral. The head and small claws are 
never used. 



HOUSEHOLD. 123> 

To Boil Lobsters. — Put in a large kettle water enough to 
cover the lobster, and salt — a dessertspoonful to a quart of 
water; when it boils fast put in the lobster, head first, which 
kills it instantly; keep boiling briskly for half an hour, then 
take it from the water with the tongs and lay it to drain: wipe 
off the scum from it and rub it over with a bit of butter tied 
in a cloth, or some sweet oil; break off the large claws, and 
crack each shell without shattering, but so that they may come 
easily to pieces; lay a napkin on a large steak dish; with a 
sharp knife split the body from head to tail, and lay it open on 
the napkin; put a large claw at either end, and serve with 
melted butter sauce. Or else take out all the meat from the 
shells, and lay it neatly on a dish, and serve with melted butter. 

Lobster Salad. — Break apart one or two heads of white 
heart lettuce, lay the leaves in cold water, rinse them well, then 
shake the water from each leaf, and lay them, the largest first, 
in a salad bowl, the stalk inwards. Lay the delicate small 
leaves around the edge; or cut it all small before -putting it 
in the bowl. 

Having boiled a hen lobster, take the meat from the shell 
and cut it small; rub the coral to a smooth paste, with the green 
inside if liked, and a tablespoonful of oil or melted butter; 
add to it a teaspoonful of made mustard, and a saltspoonful of 
black pepper; add a gill of sharp vinegar; stir it smooth, then 
mix it with the minced lobster and salad, and serve with cold 
butter and crackers or rolls. The lobster and dressing must 
not be put with the lettuce until ready to serve. 

To Choose Crabs. — If fresh, the joints of the claws will 
be stiff, and the inside have an agreeable smell; the heaviest for 
their size are best; the light ones are watery. Crabs are stale 
when the eyes look dull. 

To Boil Crabs. — Have a pot of boiling water in which is 
salt (a tablespoonful to the quart), throw the crabs in and keep 
them boiling briskly for twelve minutes, if large; then take 
them out, wipe the shells clean, and rub them over with a bit 
of butter; break off the small claws, spread a napkin on a 
large dish, and lay the crabs on it in regular rows, beginning at 
the outside. Serve with cold butter and rolls. 



124 HOUSEHOLD. 

To Boil Soft Shell Clams. — Wash the shells clean, and 
put the clams, edges downwards, in a kettle; then pour about 
a quart of boiling water over them; cover the pot and set it 
over a brisk fire for three quarters of an hour. Pouring boil- 
ing water over them causes the shells to open quickly and let 
out the sand which may be in them. Take them up when 
done; take off the black skin which covers the hard part, trim 
them clean, and put them in a stewpan; put to them some of 
the liquor in which they were boiled; put to it a good bit of 
butter, and pepper and salt to taste; make them hot; serve 
with cold butter and rolls 

To Fry Soft Shell Clams.— Get them from the shell, 
as they are very troublesome to clean; wash them in plenty of 
water, and lay them on a thickly folded napkin to dry out the 
water; then roll a few at a time in wheat flour, until they will 
take up no more; have a thick bottomed frying pan one-third 
full of boiling hot lard, and salted (in proportion, a tablespoon- 
ful of salt to a pound of lard); lay the clams in with a fork, one 
at a time; lay them close together and fry gently, until one side 
is a delicate brown; then turn carefully and brown the other; 
then take them off on a hot dish. When fried properly, thesa 
clams are very excellent. 

Hard Shell Clams.— Hard shell clams may be prepared 
for table in a variety of ways. The sand clams, either large 
or small, are preferable to any other, being whiter and more 
tender. Those called Quahogs are least delicate eating of all. 

To Boil Hard Shell Clams.— Wash the shells until they 
are perfectly clean, then put them into a kettle, with the edges 
downwards; add 9 pint of water, cover the pot and set it over 
a brisk fire; when the shells open wide they are done. Half 
an hour is generally enough for them; if a strong taste to the 
juice is not liked, put more than a pint of water to them. When 
done, take the clams from the shells into a deep dish; put to 
them some of the juice, a good bit of butter, and some pepper, 
or toast some thin slices of bread, butter them and cut them 
small, and put them in the dish before putting in the clams and 
juice. 

Stewed Clams. — Take fifty large saaotd clams from theh 



HOUSEHOLD. 125 

shells, and put to them their own liquor and water in equal 
parts, nearly to cover them; put them in a stewpan over a 
gentle fire for half an hour; take off any scum as it rises, then 
add to them a teacup of butter in which is worked a table- 
spoonful of wheat flour, and pepper to taste; cover the stew- 
pan, and let them simmer for fifteen minutes longer, then serve. 
Pour it over toast if preferred. Substituting milk for water 
makes them more delicate and white. Any other than sand 
clams, require one hour to stew; that is, three-quarters of an 
hour before putting in the seasoning. 

Fried Hard Shell Clams. — Get the large sand clams; 
wash them in their own liquor; dip them in wheat flour or 
rolled crackers, as may be preferred, and fry in hot lard or beef 
dripping, without salt; or dip each one in batter made as for 
clam fritters. 

Clam Chowder. — Butter a deep tin basin, strew it thickly 
with grated bread crumbs or soaked crackers; sprinkle some 
pepper over, and bits of butter the size of a hickory nut, and, 
if liked, some finely chopped parsley; then put a double layer 
of clams, season with pepper, put bits of butter over, then 
another layer of soaked cracker; after that clams and bits of 
butter; sprinkle pepper over, add a cup of milk or water, and 
lastly a layer of soaked crackers. Turn a plate over the basin, 
and bake in a hot oven for three-quarters of an hour; use half 
a pound of soda biscuit, and a quarter of a pound of butter 
with fifty clams. 

Oysters. — Oysters must be fresh and fat to be good. They 
are in season from September to May. 

The small ones, such as are sold by the quart, are good for 
pies, fritters, or stews; the largest of this sort are nice for fry- 
ing or pickling for family use. 

Oyster FRITTERS.-Take a quart of oysters from their own 
liquor, strain it and add to it half a pint of milk and two well 
beaten eggs, stir in it by degrees flour enough to make a smooth 
but rather thin batter; when perfectly free from lumps put the 
oysters to it, have some lard or beef dripping made hot in a 
frying pan, salt it a little, and when it is boiling hot put in the 
butter with a large spoon, having one or more oysters in each; 



126 HOUSEHOLD. 

hold it over a gentle fire until one side is a delicate brown- 
turn each fritter separately. When both sides are done, take 
them on a hot dish and serve for breakfast or supper. 

Fried Oysters. — Take large oysters from their own liquor 
into a thickly folded napkin to dry them off; then make a 
tablespoonful of lard or beef fat hot, in a thick-bottomed fry- 
ing pan, add to it a half saltspoonful of salt; dip each oyster 
in wheat flour, or cracker rolled fine, until it will take up no 
more, then lay them in the pan, hold it over a gentle fire until 
one side is a delicate brown; turn the other by sliding a fork 
under it; five minutes will fry them after they are in the pan. 
Oysters may be fried in butter, but it is not so good; lard and 
butter half and half is very nice for frying. Some persons like 
a very little of the oyster liquor poured in the pan after the 
oysters are done; let it boil up, then put it in the dish with the 
oysters; when wanted for breakfast this should be done. 

Broiled Oysters. — Take the large oysters from their own 
liquor, lay. them on a folded napkin to dry off the moisture, 
then dip each one in wheat flour or rolled cracker, or first into 
beaten egg and then into rolled cracker; have a gridiron made 
of coarse wire, put it over a bright but not fierce fire of coals, 
lay the oysters carefully on; when one side is done turn the 
other, put some sweet butter on a hot plate, sprinkle a little 
pepper over, lay the oysters on and serve with crackers.- 

To Stew Oysters. — Put the oysters with the broth to boil, 
and when they begin to curl, skim them out of the kettle into 
a pan of cold water; let them lie in the water until the broth 
has been skimmed and seasoned with butter, salt and pepper, 
add mace if you like; then drain off the water and return the 
oysters to the broth. When they begin to boil up again they 
are ready to serve, and will be found to be more plump and 
hard by the process. 

Griddled Oysters. — Heat a griddle very hot, butter it 
and lay oysters all over it; when brown on one side, turn as 
you do griddle cakes. They should be washed first from the 
liquor, and this must be boiled and skimmed, and turned over 
the oysters when served, first seasoning it with butter, salt and 
pepper; serve on bread or cracker toast. 

Panned Oysters. — Take the oysters from their liquor, snd 



HOUSEHOLD. 127 

put them in a saucepan or spider that is hot. Let them cook 
quickly, season with salt and pepper, and a little butter, and 
lay upon toast. A little juice will exude from the oysters while 
cooking, which will keep them from getting too dry, and they 
will prove very palatable to all who will try it. 

To Fry Oysters with Batter. — Take fine large oysters, 
beat as many eggs with cream (say two eggs to a cup of cream) 
as will moisten all the oysters required; dip the oyster thor- 
oughly into this r'xture and then cover well with cracker 
crumbs which have been seasoned with salt, pepper and a lit- 
tle mace, if desired. Put into your frying pan or spider equal 
quantities of butter and lard, and when hot fry the prepared 
oysters to a delicate brown tint and serve hot. If preferred, 
add three tablespoonfuls of flour to the eggs and cream, and 
omit the cracker crumbs. 

Oysters Broiled on the Shell. — The oysters should 
be of the largest size. Clean the shells with a stiff brush, then 
open and save the juice; turn boiling water over the oysters 
for only a minute or two; drain it off, and lay the oysters on 
one-half of the shell, putting it on a well-heated gridiron 
over a very hot fire. Boil the liquor that came from the oys- 
ters when opened, add it to the shell with a sprinkle of salt, 
pepper, and a bit of butter, serve hot on the shells, laid on 
large platters. 

Unsurpassed Fricasseed Oysters. — For one can of oysters 
use one pint of thin cream; clean all the liquor from the oys- 
ters and put them over steam until hot; at the same time 
thicken the cream with flour and season with salt, pepper and 
a small pinch of mace, and the same of cinnamon and a very 
little butter; cook this well, and when done thoroughly, add to 
it the liquor of the oysters which has been scalded and well 
skimmed until clear; then add the oysters, letting them remain 
just long enough to get plump (if left too long they grow 
tough). Have ready some toast on a platter and pour the 
whole over it, or have leaves and triangles of rich paste around 
the dish and partially moistened by the fricassee. Your plat- 
ter must be very hot, as fricasseed oysters chill like a new- 
born baby. 

Oyster Pie.-— Two cans of oysters, or three pints of solid 



128 HOUSEHOLD. 

oysters, one quart of cream, one dozen rolled crackers, pepper, 
salt, etc. Stir all together and pour into a dish lined with 
thick puff paste, cover with another paste and bake three-quar- 
ters of an hour. This is a delicious mode of cooking oysters. 

Oyster Patties. — Put the oysters in a saucepan with 
enough of the liquor to cover them; let them come to a boil, 
skim well, add two teaspoonfuls of butter for one quart of 
oysters, season with pepper and a little salt. Two or three 
spoonfuls of cream will add to the richness. Have ready 
small tins lined with puff-paste; put three or four oysters in 
each, according to the size of the patty; cover with paste and 
bake in a quick oven twenty minutes; when done wash over 
the top with beaten egg and set in the oven for two minutes to 
glaze. 

Scalloped Oysters. — Have plenty of fine crushed cracker 
crumbs — either soda or butter crackers; put a layer in the bot- 
tom of a buttered pudding dish; wet slightly with oyster liquor 
and milk, mixed; next a layer of oysters; season with salt and 
pepper and small bits of butter; then more crumbs and oys- 
ters, alternately, until the dish is full. Let the top layer be of 
ciumbs. Beat an egg and mix it with a little milk to pour over 
the top; place little lumps of flour all over the top, cover the 
dish and bake half an hour; remove the cover a few minutes 
before taking from the oven to let it brown. 

Chicken and Oyster Croquettes. — Take equal quanti- 
ties of chicken and oysters, chopped fine, with a cup of sifted 
bread crumbs and a piece of butter; season with salt and pep- 
per, and, if liked, a little mace. Moisten with one or two well 
beaten eggs. Form into long, slender rolls, and fry in lard to 
a light brown; serve on a napkin, and garnish with celery tops 
or parsley, and slices of lemon. 

Pickled Oysters. — Strain the liquor from the oysters; boil 
and skim until clear; drop in the oysters and let them come to 
a boil; skim them out and put them in a jar. Take about half the 
liquor remaining, add vinegar until it tastes sharp, a few whole 
cloves and allspice; boil and pour over the oysters hot; cover 
them and let them stand two or three days before using. „ If 
you wish to use them any sooner take a little more vinegar. 



HOUSEHOLD. 12& 

Sauces and Salads. — The foundation for a large proportion 
of sauces is in what the French cook knows as a roux, sad we 
as "drawn butter." As our drawn butter is often lumpy, or 
with the taste of the raw flour, we give the French method as 
a security against such, disaster. 

To Make a Roux. — Melt in a saucepan a piece ot butter 
the size of an egg, and add two even tablespoonfuls of sifted 
flour; one ounce of butter to two of flour being a safe rule. 
Stir till smooth, and pour in slowly one pint of milk, or milk 
and water, or water alone. With milk it is called cream roux, 
and is used for boiled fish and poultry. Where the butter and 
flour are allowed to brown, it is called a brown roux, aud is 
thinned with the soup or stew which it is designed to thicken. 
Capers added to a white roux — which is the butter and flour, 
with water added — give caper sauce for use with boiled mutton. 
Pickled nasturtiums are a good substitute for capers. Two 
hard-boiled eggs, cut fine, give egg sauce. Chopped parsley 
or pickle, and the variety of catsups and sauces, make an end- 
less variety; the white roux being the basis for all of them. 

Bread Sauce. — For this sauce boil one pint of milk, 
with one onion cut in pieces. When it has boiled five min- 
utes, take out the onion, and thicken the milk with half a pint 
of sifted bread-crumbs. Melt a teaspoonful of butter in a 
frying-pan; put in half a pint of coarser crumbs, stirring them 
till a light brown. Flavor the sauce with half a teaspoonful 
of salt, a saltspoonful of pepper, and a grate of nutmeg; and 
serve with game, helping a spoonful of the sauce and one of 
the browned crumbs. The boiled onion may be minced fine 
and added, and the browned crumbs omitted. 

Celery Sauce. — Wash and boil a small head of celery, 
which has been cut up fine, in one pint of water, with half a 
teaspoonful of salt. Boil till tender, which will require about 
half an hour. Make a cream roux, using half a pint of milk, 
and adding a quarter of a saltspoonful of white pepper. Stir 
into the celery; boil a moment, and serve. A teaspoonful of 
celery salt can be used, if celery is out of season, adding to i: 
the full rule for cream roux. Cauliflower may be used in the 
same way as celery, cutting it very fine, and adding a large 
cupful to the sauce. Use either with boiled meats. 






130 HOUSEHOLD. 

Mint Sauce. — Look over and strip off the leaves, and 
cut them as fine as possible with a sharp knife. Use none of 
the stalk but the tender tips. To a cupful of chopped mint 
allow an equal quantity of sugar, and half a cup of good vine- 
gar. It should stand an hour before using. 

Cranberry Sauce. — Wash one quart of cranberries in 
warm water, and pick them over carefully. Put them in a 
porcelain-lined kettle, with one pint of cold water and one 
pint of sugar, and cook without stirring for half an hour, turn- 
ing then into molds. This is the simplest method. They can 
be strained through a sieve, and put in bowls, forming a 
marmalade, which can be cut in slices when cold; or the 
berries can be crushed with a spoon while boiling, but left 
unstrained. 

Egg Sauce. — Cut up three hard boiled eggs in small dice, 
salt, pepper, minced onions (one teaspoonful), parsley and 
thyme; add all these to the drawn butter recipe. It is very 
nice for boiled chickens, fish or leg of mutton. 

Oyster Sauce. — Scald one pint of large fresh oysters just 
enough to plump them, adding a tablespoonful of pepper, 
vinegar, a little black pepper and salt; pour this into a recipe 
of well made drawn butter (as above) at boiling point; stir 
thoroughly, and serve. 

Tomato Sauce. — Scald and peel six large, ripe tomatoes; 
cut them up and stew slowly; cream together one tablespoon- 
ful of butter, one tablespoonful of sugar, one tablespoonful of 
flour; when the tomatoes are thoroughly done and reduced to 
a fine pulp, add pepper and salt; stir the butter, sugar and flour 
in; let boil up, and serve. In winter this sauce may be made 
from nice canned tomatoes. 

Pepper Vinegar. — Fill a quart bottle or jar with small 
peppers, either green or ripe; put in two tablespoonfuls of 
sugar and fill with good cider vinegar. Invaluable in season- 
ing sauces, and good to eat with fish or meat. 

Chili Sauce. — -Twelve ripe tomatoes, four ripe peppers, 
two onions, two tablespoonfuls of salt, two of sugar, three tea- 
cups of vinegar, a little cinnamon, chopped tomatoes, peppers 
and onions, very fine; boil one hour. 



HOUSEHOLD. 131 

White Sauce for Fowls. — Take tne neck, gizzard and 
liver of fowls, with a piece of veal or calf's foot; boil in one 
quart of water with a few whole peppers, and salt, till reduced 
to one pint; then thicken with two tablespoonfuls of flour 
mixed with two tablespoonfuls of butter; boil five or six min- 
utes; have ready the yolks of two eggs beaten with one teacup 
of cream from the morning's milk; pour into the saucepan and 
shake a moment until done. 

Mushroom Sauce. — Wash and pick one pint of fresh 
mushrooms (or one can of French mushrooms), put in a sauce- 
pan with a little salt, nutmeg (three grates), one blade of mace, 
one pint of very sweet cream, a lump of butter (size of a pullet's 
egg) rubbed in one teaspoonful of flour; boil up, stir until 
cooked, and serve with chickens. 

Horse-radish Sauce. — One teacupful of grated norse- 
radish, one tablespoonful of ground mustard, one tablespoonful 
of sugar, four tablespoonfuls of vinegar and one of olive oil, 
pepper and salt. 

Mint Vinegar. — Take a glass can and put loosely into it 
enough nice, clean mint leaves to fill it; then pour over enough 
good vinegar to fill the bottle full. Cork tight and let stand 
for three weeks; then pour off into another bottle and keep to 
flavor mint sauce, etc. 

Dutch Sauce. — For Fish. — One-half teaspoonful of flour, 
two ounces of butter, four tablespoonfuls of vinegar — tarragon 
vinegar is best — yolks of two eggs, juice of half a lemon, salt to 
the taste. Put all the ingredients except the lemon juice into a 
stewpan. Set it over the fire and stir constantly until it heats 
(but not boils). Scald the lemon. 

Meats. — Beef. — The best beef is of a clear red color, 
slightly marbled with fat, and the fat itself of a clear white. 
Where the beef is dark red or bluish, and the fat yellow, it is 
too old, or too poorly fed, to be good. The sirloin and ribs, 
especially the sixth, seventh and eighth, make the best roast- 
ing pieces. The ribs can be removed and used for stock, and 
the beef rolled or skewered firmly, making a piece very easily 
carved, and almost as presentable the second day as the first. 
For steaks sirloin is nearly as good, and much more economi- 






132 HOUSEHOLD. 

cal, than porter-house, which gives only a small eatable por- 
tion, the remainder being only fit for the stock-pot. If the 
beef be very young and tender, steaks from the round may 
be used; but these are usually best stewed. Other pieces and 
modes of cooking are given under their respective heads. 

Mutton. — Mutton should be a light, clear red, and the fat 
very white and firm. It is always improved by keeping, and 
in cold weather can be hung for a month, if carefully watched 
to see that it has not become tainted. Treated in this way, 
well-fed mutton is equal to venison. If the fat is deep yellow, 
and the lean dark red, the animal is too old; and no keeping 
will make it really good eating. Four years is considered the 
best age for prime mutton. 

Pork. — Pork should have fine, white fat, and the meat 
should be white and smooth. Only country-fed pork should 
ever |be eaten, the pig even then being liable to diseases 
unknown to other animals, and the meat, even when carefully 
fed, being at all times less digestible than any sort. Bacon, 
carefully cured and smoked, is considered its most wholesome 
form. 

Poultry. — Poultry come last. The best turkeys have black 
legs; and, if young, the toes and bills are soft and pliable. 
The combs of fowls should be bright colored, and the legs 
smooth. 

Geese, if young and fine, are plump in the breast, have 
white, soft fat, and yellow feet. 

Ducks are chosen by the same rule as geese, and are firm 
and thick on the breast. 

Pigeons should be fresh, the breast plump, and the feet 
elastic. Only experience can make one familiar with other 
signs; and a good butcher can usually be trusted to tide one 
over the season of experience, though the sooner it ends the 
better for all parties concerned. 

Boiled Meats and Stews. — All meats intended to be boiled 
and served whole at table must be put into boiling water, thus 

following an entirely opposite rule from those intended for 

soups. In the latter the object being to extract all the juice, 






HOUSEHOLD. 133. 

cold water must be used first, and then heated with the meat 
in it, and half an hour to the pound allowed. In the former, 
all the juice is to be kept in; and by putting into boiling water, 
the albumen of the mea* hardens on the surface and makes a 
case or coating for the meat, which accomplishes this end. 
Where something between a soup and a plain boiled meat is 
desired, as in beef bouilli, the meat is put on in cold water, 
which is brought to a boil very quickly, thus securing good 
gravy, yet not robbing the meat of all its juices. With corned 
or salted meats, tongue, etc., cold water must be used. If to 
be eaten cold, such meats should always be allowed to cool in 
the water in which they were boiled; and this water, if not too 
salt, can be used for dried bean or pea soup. 

Boiled Meats. — In boiling meat, simply for the meat's 
sake, or the use of it, you follow an opposite rule, in the 
beginning, from that in regard to boiling meat for soup. You 
put it into boiling, instead of cold, water. 

Cold water draws the juice of meat, which is precisely what 
you want in broth and soup. Boiling water contracts and 
coagulates the surface, and keeps in the juice; which again is 
precisely what you want. 

Certain preparations of meats, however, which are, in char- 
acter, between a soup and a boiled dish, as will appear in 
detail, are covered at first with cold water, and then brought 
to a quick boil. This method steers between the two results, 
and secures at once a good gravy and an eatable, nourishing 
piece of meat. Corn and salted meats are put on to boil in 
cold water. - 

Beef Bouilli. — This is one of the dishes, just now referred 
to, which comes between a soup and a simple boiled meat. It 
is, in fact, merely a whole stew. 

Take a nice round of fresh meat. Trim off almost all the 
fat — all the gristle and hard, outside, scrappy bits — and take 
out the bone. Wash it, and lay it in a deep stew-pan, or soup- 
pot; cover it once and a half with cold water, and set it on the 
fire where it will come quickly to a boil. Take off the scum 
carefully, as it rises. Cut up in small bits and slices two car- 
rots, two small turnips, or one large one, two onions, and a 
Urge head, or two small ones, of celery. If you have 



134 HOUSEHOLD. 

no celery, you can do without it by adding celery 
seed or celery salt to the spicing. When the scum is well 
removed, put in some vegetables and set the pot where it will 
only boil, or simmer, very gently, yet steadily, like soup. Scat- 
ter in a dozen whole cloves. Keep closely covered. Allow 
four hours; cook it till quite tender. One hour before it is 
done, put in a teaspoonful of made mustard, a large 
spoonful of any fine catsup or sauce, and a gill or more of wine 
if you choose. Still keep closely covered. When the beef is 
done, take it carefully on a deep dish, hot, and set it near the 
fire until you finish your gravy. Do this by stirring in a little 
smooth flour thickening. Prepare two teaspoonfuls of flour to 
a quart, mixed with a little cold water, and added gradually, 
till you are sure you want it all. The vegetables will already 
have partly thickened the soup. Boil up and turn over the 
meat. 

Scatter some bits of nice mixed pickles — cauliflower, sliced 
gherkin, with bits of some red pickle for the color — over the 
meat, before it goes to table. 

Corned Beef. — Salted and corned meats are put to boil 
in cold water. 

Buy corned beef from the round of a large, well-fed crea- 
ture. Put to soak over night in cold water. Early in the 
morning wash and wipe, and put into the pot to boil. Cover 
twice deep with cold water, and set where it wi'l heat up 
gradually and come to a very gentle boil. Take the scum 
off as it comes up. Boil four hours — a large solid piece may 
take frum four to five — and be sure that it is tender when you 
take it off. If it is to be served hot for dinner, cook it in time 
to allow of removing it from the flour and letting it stand in the 
liquor it was boiled in until cooled down from the boil as far 
as will still be palatable. This makes it richer and more ten- 
der. Make a smooth drawn butter sauce to eat with it. 

If it is to be eaten cold, take it from the fire and from the 
pot as soon as done. With a knife and fork, chiefly with the 
fork, divide and shred it into small pieces; mix these, fat and 
lean — disregarding all undesirable bits — equally together; 
pack all down into a pan; set a pan, just a little smaller, inside, 
upon the meat, so as to press it down, and put a heavy weight 



HOUSEHOLD. 135 

— flatirons answer the purpose very well — into the upper pan, 
and set all away foi" some hours, or over night. It will cut in 
delicious, tender, marbled slices, and is excellent for a Sunday 
lunch with hot vegetables. 

Boiled Tongue. — Smoked tongue is best. 

Wash, and lay in cold water over night. Put on to boil in 
cold water, and boil, not furiously, but steadily, for four hours. 
Take out, peel off the skin, and put back into the hot liquor, 
and set away to grow cold. It may remain in the water 
through the rest of the day and over night, if not wanted sooner. 
Cut tongue in lengthwise slices, beginning at the outside of the 
bend. This makes a wonderful difference in tenderness and 
flavor. 

Boiled Veal. — Take out the bone from a fillet of veaL 
Make a stuffing, as for roast meat. Fill the place of the bone 
with the stuffing, and draw the ends of the meat as tight as 
possible with a needle and a coarse, strong thread. Scald and 
flour a cloth, as for boiled mutton, and sew or tie the meat in 
it tightly. Boil three hours, or until tender, trying with a knit- 
ting-needle. Make an oyster sauce, by soup recipe, to serve 
with it. Well cooked, it is much like boiled turkey similarly 
served. 

Boiled Mutton. — A shoulder of mutton will boil in an 
hour, or a little more. A leg will take from an hour and a 
half to two hours, according to size. Try with a knitting- 
needle, to ascertain when it is tender. Have a cloth to boil it 
in. Wring this out of scalding water, dredge it thickly with 
flour, and tie up the meat tightly in it. Put it into a large ket- 
tle of boiling water, and throw in two heaping tablespoonfuls 
of salt. When done, put it, rag and all, into a pan, and turn 
cold water over it enough to cover. Let it stand a few min- 
utes, but not long enough to cool too much. Then take off 
the cloth, and send at once to table. Serve with it a smooth 
butter sauce, with capers separately. 

Boiled Lamb. — Same way, allowing about a fourth less 
time. It must depend upon the size, however. Eight minutes 
to the pound, then try it. 

To Choose Beef. — When beef is good it may be known by 



136 HOUSEHOLD. 

its texture and color; the lean will have a fine, open grain of a 
deep coral or bright carnation red; the fat rather inclining to 
white than yellow; and the suet firm and white. Very yellow 
fat is generally sufficient proof of inferior beef. 

The better roasting pieces of beef are the prime ribs, sir- 
loin, and what is known as the porter-house piece; it may be 
recognized by the bone. 

The best steaks are cut from the sirloin and porter-house. 
The last mentioned cut probably took its name from having 
been the most highly esteemed steak, and so dished for the 
palate of the epicure at porter-houses, which were formerly 
the only eating-houses. Fine steaks may be cut from between 
the ribs 

The round of tender, fat beef, cuts very good steaks, as does 
also the cross-ribs, but they are juiceless compared with the 
other pieces. The lean of fat beef is the most juicy and 
tender. 

The neck, shin, or marrow bone, leg or head make good 
soups. 

Beef skirts are good for sausage meat, stewing, hashes, or 
for mince-pie meat; or they may be broiled or fried. 

To Fry Tripe. — Take prepared tripe, lay it in a little 
water over night; in the morning scrape the rough side 
clean, then wipe it dry; then dip in wheat flour or rolled 
crackers. Have a thick-bottomed frying pan, put into it a cup 
of lard or beef dripping; let it become boiling hot; then lay 
the tripe in, the rough side down first, let it fry gently; when 
this side is a delicate brown turn the other and do likewise*, 
then take it from the pan, add to it the fat in which it was fried 
a wineglass of vinegar, let it boil up once, then pour it in the 
dish with the tripe; or you may use water instead of vinegar. 

Beef Liver. — Cut the liver in thin slices; dip each slice in 
wheat flour or rolled crackers, and fry in hot lard or beef drip- 
ping; season with pepper and salt. It must be thoroughly 
cooked and a fine brown. 

To Stew a Round of Beef. — Boil the beef till it is 
rather more than half done; gash it with a sharp knife, then 
rub it over with salt and pepper and sweet herbs chopped 



HOUSEHOLD. 137 

small; one sliced carrot, also a leek or onion sliced small; 
dredge it white with flour; strew bits of butter over it, and put 
it into a dinner pot with a pint or more of the water in which 
it was boiled; cover it close, and let it bake or stew slowly for 
two hours; add a little hot water when it may be necessary to 
keep it from burning; turn it once; when it is nicely browned 
take it up, add a little boiling water to the gravy, stir it well 
together, let it boil up once, then pour it over the meat. 

Beef Heart Baked or Roasted.— Cut a beef heart in 
two; take out the strings from the inside; wash it with warm 
water; rub the inside with pepper and salt, and fill it with a 
stuffing of bread and butter moistened with water, and sea- 
soned with pepper and salt, and, if liked, a sprig of thyme 
made fine; put it together and tie a string round it; rub the 
outside with pepper and salt; stick bits of butter on, then 
dredge flour over and set it on a trivet or muffin rings, in a 
dripping pan; put a pint of water in to baste with, then roast 
it before a hot fire or in a hot oven; turn it round and baste 
frequently. One hour will roast or bake it; when done take it 
up, cut a lemon in thin slices, and put it in a pan with a bit of 
butter; dredge in a teaspoonful of flour; let it brown, add a 
small teacupful of boiling water; stir it smooth, and serve in a. 
gravy tureen. 

Beef Kidneys. — These may be split Jand fried, or broiled, 
or they may be chopped small and made a hash or stew. Cut 
them in half, or mince them, and put them in a stewpan with 
enough hot water to moisten them; then cover them close and 
let them simmer gently until tender; add a good bit of butter, 
pepper and salt to taste, and some browned flour; a wineglass 
of wine or catsup may be added, if liked. Toast some thin 
slices of bread delicately brown, take off the crust and lay 
them in a dish, and put the stew or hash over. A finely 
chopped onion or leek may be added to it, if liked. 

Hashed Beef. — Take some very rare done or uncooked 
beef, chop it fine, one-fourth as much fat as lean, and moisten 
it with water or gravy; if with water, add a bit of butter rolled 
in flour; put it in a closely covered stewpan over a gentle 
fire for half an hour; then dredge in a little browned flour, add 
salt and pepper to taste, and cover it for fifteen minutes, and 






138 HOUSEHOLD. 

serve. Or, cut some thin slices of toast in neat squares, put 
them in the dish and put the hash on it; or serve it on boiled 
rice. Some persons like a teaspoonful of made mustard or 
catsup put to it before dishing it. 

Beef Steaks. — Sirloin, and what is known in New York 
markets as porter-house steaks, are the choicest cuts. If the 
beef is not very tender and young, it may be improved by beat- 
ing gently with a rolling-pin or potato-beetle before cooking; 
the steaks should be nearly the thickness of an inch; beef 
steaks must on no account be washed. By keeping beef as 
Jong as possible without tainting, it may be improved in flavor, 
and will become more tender; broiling is by far the best man- 
ner of cooking beef steaks. 

Fried Beef Steaks. — Cut some of the fat from the steak 
and put it into a frying-pan and set it over the fire; if the 
steaks are not very tender, beat them with a rolling-pin, and 
when the fat is boiling hot, put the steak evenly in, cover the 
pan and let it fry briskly until one side is done; sprinkle a little 
pepper and salt over, and turn the other; let it be rare or well- 
done, as may be liked; take the steak on a hot dish, add a wine- 
glass or less of boiling water or catsup to the gravy; let it boil 
up once and pour it in the dish with the steak. 

Beef and Onion Stew. — Cut two pounds of meat in pieces 
the size of an egg, and put it into a stewpan with enough warm 
water nearly to cover it; cover the stewpan and let it simmer 
slowly for half an hour; then skim it clear, peel five or six small 
onions and cut them in thick slices; pare half a dozen large 
potatoes and cut them in half, or quarters; add a tablespoon- 
ful of salt, and a small teaspoonful of pepper to the stewed 
meat; then put in the potatoes and onions. If the meat is 
lean, (it is best to have a small portion of fat,) add a bit of 
butter the size of a large egg; shake over it a tablespoonful of 
wheat flour, or work it into the butter; cover the stewpan close, 
and let it stew gently that it may brown without burning; one 
hour is required for making this stew. If the potatoes are cut 
smaller than halves, they should be put in twenty minutes 
before it is done; half an hour will be required to cook them 
if cut in two. 



HOUSEHOLD. 139 

To Roast Beef. — Have a bright, clear fire before putting 
down the roast; if it is large, have afire according; let it be a 
clear, steady fire, with a bed of coals at the bottom — this is for 
a wood fire; for a coal fire, make one large enough to last the 
length of time required for the roast (fifteen minutes for each 
pound of meat); make the front of the fire clear from ashes, 
and brush up the hearth; rinse the meat in cold water, wipe it 
dry; mix salt and pepper, a teaspoonful of salt, and asaltspoon- 
ful of pepper for each pound of meat; rub it over every part* 
then put it evenly on the spit, taking care not to run it through 
the best parts; or if it is done in a reflector, set it on a trivet or 
muffin rings, and turn- the pan about as occasion may require; 
then put it down at a little distance from the fire, that the out- 
side may not be too much done before the inside is cooked; 
put at least a pint of water into the dripping-pan, with which 
to baste; replenish with boiling water, so that there shall not be 
less than a pint of gravy when the meat is done, for a piece 
weighing five or six pounds; when about half done, clear the 
front of the fire and set it a little nearer; turn the meat so 
that all sides Kiay be done evenly; fifteen minutes before it is 
done, if you please, dredge with the fat of the meat wheat flour 
until it looks white; baste it freely and set it to finish; when 
done, take it on to a large dish and cover with a tin cover; set 
the dripping over the fire, dredge in a small tablespoonful of 
flour, stir it smooth; when it is a fine brown, add a teacupful of 
boiling water, let it boil up, stirring it meanwhile; then pour 
it through a gravy strainer into a tureen; if there is much fat 
skim nearly all of it off; or, instead of dredging in flour, make 
a thin, smooth batter of a tablespoonful of flour, and a small 
cup of cold water; let the gravy in the pan become boiling hot 
before stirring it in; then stir it smooth, and when it is a fine 
rich brown, strain it into the tureen and serve with the meat. 

The vegetables most proper with roast beef are plain boiled 
or mashed potatoes, with boiled spinach, beets or dressed celery, 
and turnips mashed, or squash. If you please, pickles, or 
grated horseradish, may also be served with roast beef instead 
of spinach or celery, with made mustard and catsup in the 
castor. In roasting meat it should be so placed as to bring the 
largest or thickest part nearest the fire. In roasting meat its 



140 HOUSEHOLD. 

juiciness depends on the frequency of basting it. after it has 
fairly begun to roast. 

Veal. — Veal should not be kept long before dressing, as it 
by no means improves by keeping. The loin is apt to taint 
under the kidney. When soft and slimy it is stale; it will be 
cool and firm and have an agreeable smell when fresh. 

In the shoulder, if the vein is a clear red, it is good. When 
there are any yellow or dark spots it is stale. The breast and 
neck, when good, look white and clear. Veal must always be 
well cooked. The leg of veal is generally boiled or made soup 
of. The loin also may be boiled, but it is best roasted, and 
cut into chops and broiled and fried. The shoulder may be 
roasted; it may be boned and stuffed and then roasted, or it 
may be split, after having been boned, and fried or broiled. 
The breast may be roasted, stewed, or broiled, or made a pie. 
Steaks are cut from leg or shoulder. The neck, or scrag, may 
be cut in chops and fried, broiled, or stewed; or a dish of soup 
may be made of it. 

Calf's liver is cut in steaks, and fried like beef liver, or it 
may be broiled and buttered. 

Veal sweet-breads are roasted with the breast, or they may 
be fried or stewed. 

Calf's head may be boiled and served with a sauce, and a 
soup made of the liquor in which it is boiled. 

The head and feet are used for making jellies. 

To Broil Veal. — Put in hot water (not boiling) to cover 
it, put to it a teaspoonful of salt, cover the pot, and let it boil 
very gently, taking off the scum as it rises; allow fifteen min- 
utes for each pound of meat; four pounds of meat wilL require 
one hour gentle boiling. Serve boiled veal with drawn butter, 
or oysters, or lemon, or parsley sauce, and plain boiled pota- 
toes with pickles, or lettuce, or celery. Boil the loin and 
serve with egg sauce. 

Calf's Head. — Clean it very nicely and soak it in salt and 
water, that it may look white (clean as directed for beef tripe), 
take out the eyes, take out the tongue to salt, and the brains to 
make a little dish; boil the head very tender, and serve with a 
sauce, or take it up, put bits of butter all over it, dredge with 



HOUSEHOLD. 141 

flour, and season with pepper and finely sifted sweet herbs, if 
liked, set it in a hot oven or before the fire; baste with some of 
the water in which it was boiled, or squeeze the juice of a 
lemon over; roast it a fine brown; then take it on a hot dish 
and put on a tin cover; add a piece of butter, the size of an 
egg, to the gravy; cut a small lemon in thin slices, and make 
the gravy boiling hot; add them to it; letthem fry brown, then 
put a teaspoonful of browned flour, and a teacup of boiling 
water to the gravy, and serve with the meat. The lemon may 
be dispensed with if preferred — it will generally be liked. 

To Make a Dish of Calf's Brains. — Wash them in salt 
and water, then boil them tender, and take them in a dish; put 
butter and pepper over, and serve. Or, after washing the 
brains in salt and water, wipe them dry, and dip them in wheat 
flour, or in beaten egg, and then into bread crumbs, and fry 
in hot lard or beef dripping; season with pepper and salt, and 
slices of lemon fried, if liked. 

Calf's Head Cheese. — Boil a calf's head in water enough 
to cover it, until the meat leaves the bones, then take it with a 
skimmer into a wooden bowl or tray; take from it every parti- 
cle of bone; chop it small; season with pepper and salt, a heap- 
ing teaspoonful of salt, and a teaspoonful of pepper will be 
sufficient; if liked, add a teaspoonful of finely chopped sweet 
herbs; lay a cloth in a cullender, put the minced meat in it, 
then fold the cloth closely over it, lay a plate over, and on it a 
gentle weight. When cold it may be sliced for supper or sand- 
wiches. Spread each slice with made mustard. 

Calf's Head (a fine dish). — Boil a calf's head (after 
having cleaned it), until tender, then split it in two, and keep 
the best half (bone in it if you like); cut the meat from the 
other in uniform pieces, the size of an oyster; put bits of butter 
the size of a nutmeg all over the best half of the head; 
sprinkle pepper over, and dredge on flour until it looks white, 
then set it on a trivet or muffin rings in a dripping pan; put a 
cup of water into the pan and set it in a hot oven or before a 
hot fire; turn it that it may brown evenly; baste once or twice. 
Whilst this is doing, dip the prepared pieces of the head in 
wheat flour or batter, and fry in hot lard or beef dripping, a 






142 HOUSEHOLD. 

delicate brown; season with pepper and salt, and slices of 
lemon, if liked. When the roast is done put it in a hot dish, lay 
the fried pieces around it and cover with a tin cover; put 
the gravy from the dripping pan into the pan in which the 
pieces were fried, with the slices of lemon, and a teaspoonful 
of browned flour, and, if necessary, a little hot water. Let it 
boil up once, and strain it into a gravy boat andserve with the 
meat. 

Veal Chops. — Cut your chops about an inch thick; beat 
them flat with a rolling pin, put them in a pan, pour boiling 
water over them, and set them over the fire for five minutes; 
then take them up and wipe them dry; mix a tablespoonful of 
salt and a teaspoonful of pepper for each pound of meat; rub 
each chop over with this, then dip them, first into beaten egg, 
then into rolled crackers as much as they will take up; then 
finish by frying in hot lard or beef dripping; or broil them. 
For the broil have some sweet butter on a steak dish; broil the 
chops until well done, over a bright, clear fire of coals (let 
them do gently that they may be well done) then take them 
on to the butter, turn them carefully over once or twice in it, 
and serve. Or, dip the chops into a batter, made of one egg 
beaten with half a teacup of milk, and as much wheat flour as 
may be necessary. Or, simply dip the chops without parboil- 
ing into wheat flour; make some lard or beef fat hot in a fry- 
ing pan; lay the chops in, and when one side is a fine, delicate 
brown, turn the other. When all are done, take them up, put 
a very little hot water into the pan, then put it into the dish 
with the chops. 

Or, make a flour gravy thus: After frying them as last di* 
rected, add a tablespoonful more of fat to that in the pan, let 
it become boiling hot; make a thin batter, of a small table- 
spoonful of wheat flour and cold water; add a little more salt 
and pepper to the gravy, then gradually stir in the batter; stir 
it until it is cooked and a nice brown; then put it over, the 
meat, or in a dish with it; if it is thicker than is liked, add a 
little boiling water. 

Veal Stewed with Vegetables {Ragout). — Wash three 
pounds of veal in cold water, then cut it small and put it in a 
stewpan with water nearly to cover it; add a tablespoonful of 



HOUSEHOLD. 143 

salt and a teaspoonful of pepper; cover the stewpan, and let it 
simmer for twenty minutes, then skim it clear. Whilst the meat 
is stewing, scrape one large or two small carrots and cut them 
in thin slices, a quarter of an inch thick, notch the edges, and put 
them in a stewpan, with boiling water to cover them, and set it 
over the fire until they are tender; dip a bunch of parsley into 
boiling water and mince it fine; cut a leek into thin slices; pare 
and cut six small potatoes in halves or quarters, then take the 
carrot from the water with a skimmer; put quarter of a pound 
of sweet butter to the meat; dredge over it a tablespoonful of 
browned flour, and add the vegetables; cover the stewpan and 
let it stew gently for an hour; then take the meat on a dish, put 
the vegetables around it, pour the gravy over, and serve. 

To Roast Veal. — Rinse the meat in cold water; if any 
part is bloody, wash it off; make a mixture of pepper and salt, 
allowing a large teaspoonful of salt and saltspoonful of pepper 
for each pound of meat; wipe the meat dry; then rub the sea- 
soning into every part, shape it neatly and fasten it with skewers, 
and put it on a spit, or set it on a trivet or muffin rings, in 
a pan; stick bits of butter over the whole upper surface; dredge 
a little flour over, put a pint of water into the pan to baste with, 
and roast it before the fire in a Dutch oven or reflector, or put 
it into a hot oven; baste it occasionally, turn it if necessary that 
every part may be done; if the water wastes, add more, that the 
gravy may not burn; allow fifteen minutes for each pound of 
meat; a piece weighing four or five pounds will then require one 
hour or an hour and a quarter. When it is nicely browned 
and done, take it up; add a bit of butter the size of a large egg 
to the gravy, dredge in a tablespoonful of flour, stir it smooth, 
let it brown, add a cup of boiling water to it; then strain it into 
a gravy-boat, and serve with the meat; serve plain boiled or 
mashed potatoes with the meat, with such green vegetables as 
may be liked. 

Plain boiled or mashed potatoes, with any other vegetable 
which may be liked may be served with roast veal; also pickles 
of any kind. 

Veal Hashed. — Cut a pound of cold veal small, season it 
to taste with pepper and salt, dredge a small teaspoonful of 
wheat flour over it, add a bit of butter the size of an egg, put 



144 HOUSEHOLD, 

it in a stewpan, put water enough to make it moist; then cover 
it close and set it over a gentle fire for half an hour; stir it 
occasionally; if li!.ed, a bunch of parsley may be cut small and 
added to it; when half done, toast some thin slices of bread 
delicately brown, cut it in small squares or diamonds, and serve 
the hash on it, for breakfast. A glass of wine may be added. 

Veal Pie. — Cut a breast of veal small and put it in a stew- 
pan, with hot water to cover it; add to it a tablespoonful of salt 
and set it over the fire; take off the scum as it rises; when the 
meat is tender, turn it into a dish to cool; take out all the small 
bones, butter a tin or earthen basin or pudding-pan, line- it 
with a pie paste (see clam pie), lay some of the parboiled meat 
in to half fill it, put bits of butter the size of a hickory nut 
all over the meat, shake pepper over, dredge wheat flour over 
until it looks white; then fill it nearly to the top with some of 
the water in which the meat was boiled, roll a cove', for the top 
of the crust, puff paste it, giving it two or three turns, and roll 
it to nearly half an inch thickness; cut a slit in the centre and 
make several small incisions on either side of it; lay some 
skewers across the pie, put the crust on, trim the edges neatiy 
with a knife, bake one hour in a quick oven. A breast of veal 
will make two quart basin pies; half a pound of nice corned 
pork, cut in thin slices and parboiled with the meat, will make 
it very nice, and little, if any, butter will be required for the 
pie; when pork is used no other salt will be necessary. 

Potato and Veal Pie. — Peel and cut small some cold 
boiled potatoes; cut some cold veal small; put some of the meat 
in the bottom of a baking dish, or tin basin, put on a layer of 
potatoes, sprinkle pepper and salt over and bits of butter; then 
another layer of meat and potatoes and seasoning, and so con- 
tinue until the pan is nearly full, then add to it water or gravy 
to moisten it; cover it with a pie crust, and bake in a quick 
oven for three-quarters of an hour. 

To Boil Pickled Beef. — Put on the fire in cold water; let 
it simmer slowly, allowing fifteen minutes to every pound; do 
not let it boil; keep skimming or it will look dirty; if it is left in 
the pot until the water is cold it will be much more tender. 

Spiced Beef. — Take a piece of beef from the fore-quarter, 






HOUSEHOLD 145 

weighing ten pounds. Those who like fat should select a fatty 
piece; those who prefer lean may take the shoulder clod, or 
upper part of the fore-leg. Take one pint of salt, one teacup 
of molasses or brown sugar, one tablespoonful of ground cloves, 
allspice and pepper, and two tablespoonfuls of pulverized salt- 
petre. Place the beef in a deep pan; rub with this mixture; 
turn and rub each side twice a day for a week; then wash 
off the spices; put in a pot of boiling water, and, as often as it 
boils hard, turn in a teacupful of cold water. It must simmer 
for five hours, on the back part of the stove. Press under a 
heavy weight until it is cold, and you will never desire to try 
corned-beef of the butcher again. Your pickle will do for 
another ten pounds of beef, first rubbing into it a handful of 
salt. It can be renewed and a piece kept in preparation every 
day. This is good to pickle tongues also. 

Beef. — To pickle for drying or boiling, thoroughly rub 
salt into it, and let it remain twenty-four hours to draw off the 
blood; after which drain and pack as desired; have ready a 
pickle prepared as follows: For every one hundred pounds of 
beef, seven pounds of salt, one ounce of saltpetre, one quart 
of molasses, eight gallons of soft water; boil and skim well; 
when cold pour it over the beef. Pieces designed for drying 
should be taken out in two weeks, and soaked over night, to 
take the salt from the outside. 

Remains of Roast Beef. — Take off with a sharp knife all 
the meat from the bones, chop it fine, take cold gravy without 
the fat, put it in the spider to heat; if you have not this, some 
of the water in which the bones were boiled; when it boils up, 
sprinkle in salt and put in the minced meat; cover it and let it 
stand upon the fire long enough to heat it thoroughly, then stir 
in a small piece of butter, toast bread, and lay in a dish; put 
the meat over it; serve hot. 

Boiling Meat. — There is all the difference in the world 
between boiling meat which is to be eaten, and meat whose 
juices are to be extracted in the form of soup. If the meat is 
required as nourishment, of course you want the juices kept 
in. To do this, it is necessary to plunge it into boiling water, 
which will cause the albumen in the meat to coagulate suddenly, 
10 



146 HOUSEHOLD. 

and act as a plug or stopper to all the tubes of the meat, stf 
that the nourishment will be tightly kept in. The temperature 
of the water should be kept at boiling point for five minutes, 
and then as much cold water must be added as will reduce the 
temperature to one hundred and sixty-five degrees. Now if 
the hot water, in which the meat is being cooked, .is kept at 
this temperature for some hours, we have all the conditions 
united, which give to the flesh the quality best adapted for its 
use as food. The juices are kept in the meat, and, instead of 
being called upon to consume an insipid mass of indigestible 
fibres, we have a tender piece of meat, from which, when cut, 
the imprisoned juice runs freely. If the meat be allowed to 
remain in the boiling water, without the addition of any cold 
water to it, it becomes in a short time altogether cooked, but 
it will also be almost indigestible, and therefore unpalatable. 

To Bake a Ham. — Most persons boil a ham, but a first- 
rate Virginia housewife tells us it is much better if baked prop- 
erly. Soak it for an hour or more and wipe dry. Next spread 
it all over with a batter made of flour and water; put it into a 
deep pan with muffin rings or bits of oak wood under it to 
keep it out of the gravy. When fully done — it will take from 
five to seven hours — take off the skin and batter crusted upon 
the flesh side and set it away to cool, or glaze it by the follow- 
ing recipe: 

Glazed Ham. — Beat the yolks of two eggs very light. 
Spread them all over your ham; then sift over fine cracker 
crumbs, and set in the oven to brown. Currant jelly may be 
used instead of yolks of eggs, and is very nice. 

Poultry and Game. — To Clean Poultry— First be very 
careful to singe off all down by holding over a blazing paper, 
or a little alcohol burning in a saucer. Cut off the feet and 
the ends of the wings, and the neck as far as it is dark. If the 
fowl is killed at home, be sure that the head is chopped off, 
and never allow the neck to be wrung, as is often done. It is 
not only an unmerciful way of killing, but the blood has thus 
no escape, and settles about all the vital organs. The head 
should be cut off, and the body hang and bleed thoroughly be- 
fore using. 

Pick out all the pin-feathers with the blade of a small knife. 






HOUSEHOLD. 147 

Turn back the skin of the neck, loosening it with the finger 
and thumb, and draw out the windpipe and crop, which can 
be done without making any cut. Now cut a slit in the lower 
part of the fowl, the best place being close to the thigh. By- 
working the fingers in slowly, keeping them close to the body, 
the whole intestines can be removed in a mass. Be especially 
careful not to break the gall-bag, which is near the upper part 
of the breastbone, and attached to the liver. If this operation 
is carefully performed, it will be by no means so disagreeable 
as it seems. A French cook simply wipes out the inside, con- 
sidering that much flavor is lost by washing. We prefer to 
wash in one water, and dry quickly, though in the case of an 
old fowl, which often has a strong smell, it is better to dis- 
solve a teaspoonful of soda in the first water, which should be 
warm, and wash again in cold, then wiping dry as possible. 
Slit and wash the gizzard, reserving it for gravy. 

Dressing for Poultry. — One pint of bread or cracker 
crumbs, into which mix dry one teaspoonful of pepper, one of 
thyme or summer savory, one even tablespoonfui of salt, and, 
if in season, a little chopped parsley. Melt a piece of butter 
the size of an egg in one cup of boiling water, and mix with 
the crumbs, adding one or two well-beaten eggs. A slice of 
salt pork chopped fine is often substituted for the butter. 

For ducks two onions are chopped fine, and added to the 
above; or a potato dressing is made, as for geese, using six 
large boiled potatoes, mashed hot, and seasoned with an even 
tablespoonfui of salt, a teaspoonful each of sage and pepper, 
and two chopped onions. 

Game is usually roasted unstuffed, but grouse and prairie- 
chickens may have the same dressing as chickens and turkeys, 
this being used also for boiled fowls. 

Roast Turkey. — Prepare by cleaning, as in general direc- 
tions above, and, when dry, rub the inside with a teaspoonful 
of salt. Put the gizzard, heart, and liver on the fire in a small 
saucepan, with one quart of boiling water and one teaspoon- 
ful of salt, and boil two hours. Put a little stuffing in the 
breast, and fold back the skin of the neck, holding it with a 
stitch or with a small skewer. Put the remainder in the body, 
and sew it up with darning cotton. Cross and tie the legs 






148 HOUSEHOLD. 

down tight, and run a skewer through the wings to fasten them 
to the body. Lay it in the roasting-pan, and for an eight- 
pound turkey allow not less than three hours' time, a ten or 
twelve pound one needing four. Put a pint of boiling water 
with one teaspoonful of salt in the pan, and add to it as it 
dries away. Melt a heaping tablespoonful of butter in the 
water and baste very often. The secret of a handsomely- 
browned turkey lies in this frequent basting. Dredge over the 
flour two or three times, as in general roasting directions, and 
turn the turkey so that all sides will be reached. When done, 
take up on a hot platter. Put the baking-pan on the stove, 
having before this chopped the gizzard and heart fine, and 
mashed the liver, and put them in the gravy-tureen. Stir a 
tablespoonful of brown flour into the gravy in the pan, scraping 
up all the brown, and add slowly the water in which the gib- 
lets were boiled, which should be about a pint. Strain on to 
the chopped giblets, and taste to see if salt enough. The gravy 
for all roast poultry is made in this way. Serve with cranberry 
sauce or jelly. ' 

K.OA.ST or Boiled Chickens. — Stuff and truss as with tur- 
keys, and to a pair of chickens weighing two and a half pounds 
each, allow one hour to roast, basting often, and making a 
gravy as in precedent recipe. Boil as in rule for turkeys. 

Roast Duck. — After cleaning, stuff as in rule given for 
poultry dressing, and roast — if game, half an hour; if tame, 
one hour, making gravy as in directions given, and serving 
with currant jelly. 

Birds. — Small birds may simply be washed and wiped dry, 
tied firmly, and roasted twenty minutes, dredging with flour, 
basting with butter and water, and adding a little currant jelly 
or wine to the gravy. They may be served on toast. 

Boiled Turkey. — Clean, stuff, and truss the fowl selected, 
as for a roasted turkey. The body is sometimes filled with 
oysters. To truss in the tightest and most compact way, run 
a skewer under the leg-joint, between the leg and the thigh, 
then run through the body and under the opposite leg-joint in 
the same way; push the thighs up firmly close to the sjdes; 
wind a string about the ends of the skewer, and tie it tight. 
Treat the wings in the same way, though in boiled fowls the 



HOUSEHOLD. 149 

points are sometimes drawn under the back, and tied there. 
The turkey may be boiled with or without cloth around it. In 
either case use boiling water, salted as for stock, and allow 
twenty minutes to the pound. It is usually served with oyster 
sauce, but parsley or capers may be used instead. 

Boned Turkey. — This is a delicate dish, and is usually 
regarded as an impossibility for any ordinary house-keeper; 
and, unless one is getting up a supper or other entertainment, 
it is hardly worth while to undertake it. If the legs and wings 
are left on, the boning becomes more difficult. The best plan 
is to cut off both them and the neck, boiling all with the tur- 
key, and using the meat for croquettes or hash. 

Draw only the crop and windpipe, as the turkey is more 
easily handled before dressing. Choose a fat hen turkey of 
some six or seven pounds weight, and cut off legs up to second 
joint, with half the wings and the neck. Now, with a very 
sharp knife, make a clean cut down the entire back, and, hold- 
ing the knife close to the body, cut away the flesh, first on one 
side, and then another, making a clean cut around the pope's 
nose. Be careful, in cutting down the breastbone, not to break 
through the skin. The entire meat will now be free from the 
bones, save the pieces remaining in legs and wings. Cut out 
these, and remove all sinews. Spread the turkey skin-side 
down on the board. Cut out the breasts, and cut them up in 
long, narrow pieces, or as you like. Chop fine a pound and a 
half of veal or fresh pork, and a slice of ham also. Season 
with one teaspoonful of salt; a saltspoonful each of mace and 
pepper; half a saltspoonful of cayenne and the juice of a 
lemon. Cut half a pound of cold boiled smoked tongue into 
dice. Make layers of this force-meat, putting half of it on 
the turkey and then the dice of tongue, with strips of the 
breast between, using force-meat for the last layer. Roll up 
the turkey in a tight roll, and sew the skin together. Now roll 
V firmly in a napkin, tying at the ends and across in two 
/laces to preserve the shape. Cover it with boiling water, 
salted as for stock, putting in all the bones and giblets, and 
two onions stuck with two cloves each. Boil four hours. Let 
it "ool in the liquor. Take up in a pan, lay a tin sheet on it, 
and press with a heavy weight. Strain the water in which it 



150, HOUSEHOLD. 

was boiled, and put in a cold place. Next day take off the 
napkin and set the turkey in the oven a moment to melt off any 
fat. It can be sliced and eaten in this way, but makes a hand- 
somer dish served as follows: 

Remove the fat from the stock, and heat three pints of it 
to boiling-point, adding two-thirds of a package of gelatine 
which has been soaked in a little cold water. Strain a cupful 
of this into some pretty mold — an ear of corn is a good shape 
—and the remainder in two pans or deep plates, coloring each 
with caramel — a teaspoonful in one, and two in the other. 
Lay the turkey on a small platter turned face down in a larger 
one, and, when the jelly is cold and firm, put the molded 
form on top of it. Now cut part of the jelly into rounds with 
a pepper-box top, or a small star-cutter, and arrange around 
the mold, chopping the rest and piling about the edge, so 
that the inner platter or stand is completely concealed. The 
outer row of jelly can have been colored red by cutting up, 
and boiling in the stock for it, half of a red beet. Sprigs of 
parsley or delicate celery-tops may be used as garnish, and it 
is a very elegant-looking as well as savory dish. The legs and 
wings can be left on and trussed outside, if liked, making it as 
much as possible in the original shape; but it is no better, and 
much more trouble. 

Jellied Chicken. — Tenderness is no object here, the most 
ancient dweller in the barnyard answering equally well, and 
even better than " broilers." 

Draw carefully, and, if the fowl is old, wash it in water in 
which a spoonful of soda has been dissolved, rinsing in cold. 
Put on in cold water, and season with a tablespoonful of salt 
and a half teaspoonful of pepper. Boil till the meat slips 
easily from the bones, reducing the broth to about a quart. 
Strain, and, when cold, take off the fat. Where any floating 
particles remain, they can always be removed by laying a 
piece of soft paper on the broth for a moment. Cut the breast 
in long strips, and the rest of the meat in small pieces. Boil two 
or three eggs hard, and, when cold, cut in thin slices. Slice a 
lemon very thin. Dissolve half a package of gelatine in a little 
cold water; heat the broth to boiling-point, and add a salt- 
spoonful of mace, and, if liked, a glass of sherry, though it is 



HOUSEHOLD. 151 

not necessary, pouring it on the gelatine. Choose a pretty 
mold, and lay in strips of the breast; then a layer of egg slices, 
putting them close against the mold. Nearly fill with chicken, 
laid in lightly; then strain on the broth till it is nearly full, and 
set in a cold place. Dip for an instant in hot water before 
turning out. It is nice as a supper or lunch dish, and very 
pretty in effect. 

Turkey and Chicken Stuffing. — Three teacups of 
grated bread crumbs (no crust and not a drop of water), one 
cup finely chopped suet, two-thirds of a cup of chopped pars- 
ley, a tablespoonful of sweet marjoram and summer savory, 
one-half teaspoonful of pepper, one teaspoonful of salt, one or 
two eggs, beaten. 

To Boil a Chicken or Turkey. — It is not every house- 
wife who knows how best to boil a chicken. Plain, artless 
boiling is apt to produce a yellowish, slimy looking fowl. 
Before cook.'ng, the bird should always be well washed in tepid 
water and Lmon juice, and to insure whiteness, delicacy and 
succulence, should be boiled in a soup of flour and water; 
after being put in the boiling water should be allowed to sim- 
mer slowly. This method is very effectual in preserving all 
the juices of the fowl, and the result is a more toothsome and 
nourishing morsel than the luckless bird which has been " gal- 
loped to death" in plain boiling. 

Escalloped Turkey. — Take the remains of cold turkey, 
from which remove all the bones and gristle; chop the meat in 
small pieces. Place in an earthen dish a layer of powdered 
cracker, moistened with milk; then add a layer of turkey sea- 
soned with pepper and salt, then another layer of powdered 
cracker, and then one of turkey, and so on until the dish is 
filled; over that pour the gravy you may have left, or a little 
hot water and butter. Finish the top with the powdered 
cracker, moisten with a beaten egg and sweet milk, bake one 
hour. Cover the dish for the first half hour, that the top may 
not become too brown. 

Prairie Chickens, Partridges and Quail. — Clean nicely, 
using a little soda in the water in which they are washed; rinse 
them and drain, and fill with dressing, sewing them up nicely, 



152 HOUSEHOLD. 

and binding down the legs and wings with cord. Put them in 
a steamer and let them cook ten minutes. Then put them in a 
pan with a little butter, set them in the oven and baste fre- 
quently until of a nice brown. They ought to brown in about 
thirty-five minutes. Serve them in a ^latter with sprigs of 
parsley alternated with currant jelly. 

A Nice Way to Cook Pigeons. — Stuff the birds with a 
rich bread dressing; place compactly in an iron or earthen 
dish; season with salt, pepper, and butter (or if you like best, 
thin slices of salt pork over the tcp), dredge thickly with flour 
and nearly cover them with water. Then put over a closely 
fitting plate or cover, and place the dish in a moderate oven, 
from two to four, or even five, hours, according to the age of 
the birds. If tho birds are old and tough, this is the best way 
they can be cooked, and they may be made perfectly tender 
and much sweeter than by any other process. If the gravy is 
insufficient, add a little water b:fore dishing. 

To Pot Birds. — Prepare them as for roasting. Fill each 
with a dressing made as follows: Allow for each bird of the 
size of a pigeon one-half of a hard boiled egg, chopped fine, 
a tablespoonful of bread crumbs, a teaspoonful of chopped 
pork; season the bird with pepper and salt; stuff them, lay 
them in a kettle that has a tight cover. Place over the birds a 
few slices of pork, add a pint of water, dredge over them a 
little flour, cover and put them in a hot oven. Let them cook 
until tender, then add a little cream and butter. If the sauce 
is too thin, thicken with flour. One pint of water is sufficient 
for twelve birds. 

Quail on Toast. — After the birds are well cleaned, cut 
them open on the back, salt and pepper them, and dredge them 
very lightly with flour. Break them down so they will lie flat, 
and broil them on a gridiron, or place them in a pan with a 
little butter and a little water in a hot oven, covering them 
closely for awhile, until about done. Then take them up and 
place in a spider on top of the stove, and let them fry a nice 
brown. Have ready slices of baker's bread well toasted and 
slightly buttered. The toast should be broken down with a 
carving knife to make the crust tender; on -this place your 
quails. Make a gravy of the drippings in the pan, thickened 









HOUSEHOLD. 158 

very lightly with browned flour, and pour over each quail. 
The quails should only be allowed to fry just long enough to 
brown nicely, and not long enough to dry out; five minutes 
ought to be sufficient. 

Fricassee Chicken. — Cut up, wash and dry a pair of 
chickens, put into a stewpan a tablespoonful of butter; let it 
boil; lay the chickens into this and shake them about, turning 
them and giving each piece a little glazed look; then add water 
enough to cover the fowls, and let stew slowly from forty min- 
utes to an hour. Just before serving let it come'to a keen boil, 
and stir in a teacupf ul of milk or sweet cream, in which a heap- 
ing tablespoonful of flour has been stirred. Let it cook five 
minutes and pour into a dish over which some freshly baked 
powder biscuits have been opened and spread. Season with 
salt and pepper. 

Escalloped Chicken. — Cold chicken, chiefly the white 
meat, one cup of gravy, one tablespoonful of butter, and one 
egg, well beaten, one cup of fine bread crumbs, pepper and salt- 
Take from the chicken all gristle and skin, and cut, not chop, 
into pieces not less than half an inch long. Have ready the 
gravy, or some rich drawn butter in a saucepan on the fire. 
Thicken it well, and stir into it the chicken; boil up once, take 
it off and add the beaten egg; cover the bottom of a buttered 
dish with bread crumbs, pour in the mixture, and put in another 
thick layer of crumbs on top, sticking butter all over it. Bake 
to a delicate brown in a quick oven. Turkey may be used 
instead of chicken; also veal. 

Chicken Pie. — Stew until tender two chickens in just 
enough water to stew them. Make a nice crust, line a deep 
dish with it; when the chickens are done remove all the bones; 
put the chickens into the dish in which they are to be baked; 
thicken the gravy with a little flour and cream; add a can of 
oysters; season with salt, pepper and butter; cover the pie with 
a crust, and bake quickly. This is very nice. 

Rice and Chicken Pie. — Boil a pint or more of rice; 
stir in ateaspoonful of butter, a little milk, two eggs and a little 
salt. Fricassee two chickens; cover the bottom of a long 
dish with rice, then a layer of chicken, and so on, until it u 






154 HOUSEHOLD. 

full; save out some of the gravy of the fricassee to eat on the 
rice; cover the whole with the yolk of an egg and brown it. 
Curry may be put into the chicken if liked. One chicken 
makes a good sized dish. 

Chicken Jelly.— Boil the chicken until tender; cut with a 
knife fine, put it in a dish or mold; season with salt, pepper, a 
little summer savory and a teaspoonful of vinegar; boil the 
bones in the broth awhile and pour over. When cold it will 
turn out. 

To Choose a Goose. — Be careful in choosing a goose that 
it is young; an old goose is very poor fare. If the skin and 
joints are tender and easily broken with the finger, it is young; 
a fat goose is best. The feet and bill of a young goose are 
yellow; in an old one they are red. When fresh killed, the feet 
are pliable; if stale, they will be dry and stiff. The loose fat 
from the inside of a goose should be taken out, and the fat 
from the lower part of the back. Goose grease may be used 
medically, but not for eating. Some persons use it for making 
pie crust and for common molasses cake instead of other short- 
ening. 

To Roast a Goose. — Pick it perfectly clean, cut off the 
legs at the joints, and singe it nicely; cut off the vent, cut a 
slit from the breast bone to it, or across, below the breast bone; 
draw out the entrails, take off that leading to the vent; take out 
all the loose fat; save the heart and liver; cut a^slit at the back 
of the neck, and draw out the crop; cut off a part of the neck, 
leave enough of the skin to fasten over against the back; wash 
the inside of the body with cold water, wipe it dry, and rub it 
well with a mixture of salt and pepper; prepare the stuffing. 

Cut a sixpenny loaf of wheat bread in slices; pour hot water 
over to wet them; then add a teaspoonful of salt and the same 
of ground pepper, and quarter of a pound of sweet butter, with 
a tablespoonful of finely powdered sage or thyme, if liked. Fill 
the body, then sew up the slit, tie the ends of the legs together, 
or cut a place and put them in the body; pass a skewer through 
the hips; put the heart and liver between the wings and the 
body, and fasten close to it with a skewer; spit it; put a pint of 
water in the pan to baste with; have a bright, steady and clear 
fire, with a bed of coals at the bottom, and set the goose at a 



HOUSEHOLD. 155 

little distance at first, until it is heated through; put ateaspoon- 
ful of salt to the water in the pan, and baste freely with it after 
it has begun to roast; put one side to the fire first, then the 
other; after that the back, and lastly the breast, that it may be 
evenly done; gradually draw it nearer the fire; when nearly 
done, stir up the fire, put quarter of a pound of butter in the 
pan and baste with it; dredge a little flour over it; turn it that 
every part may be browned; allow fifteen minutes for each 
pound of meat. It must be well done, which will depend on 
the state and management of the fire. 

If the gravy is very fat, take some of it off; put the pan over 
the fire, let it become hot, then stir into it a thin batter made 
of a tablespoonful of wheat flour and cold water; stir it until it 
is brown and smooth; if it is thicker than is liked, add a little 
boiling water; stir it in and pour it through a gravy-strainer 
into a tureen. 

A goose may be equally well dressed in a hot oven or stove. 
Prepare it as directed for roasting; set a trivet or muffin rings 
in a dripping-pan, and place the goose with its back upon the 
trivet or rings; put a pint of hot water in the pan; put bits of 
butter the size of a large hickory nut over the body; dredge 
wheat flour over, and set in a thoroughly heated brick or stove 
oven; baste it freely and often; when done, take it from the pan; 
cover it, and set it before the fire to keep hot; put the pan over 
the fire; take out the rings or trivet; add a bit of butter the size 
of an egg, and when it is hot stir it into a thin batter made of a 
tablespoonful of wheat flour and cold water; if too thick, add 
hot water to thin it; stir it smooth, and pour through a gravy- 
strainer into a tureen. A lemon sliced thin and fried in the 
gravy before putting in the batter and served over the goose, 
or put in the tureen with the gravy, is liked by some persons. 

The stuffing may be made of boiled potatoes, chopped or 
mashed, instead of bread, and moistened with milk. An onion 
or leek, finely minced, may be added to the gravy, if liked. 
Half a pound of fat corned pork chopped small may be put 
with the stuffing instead of butter for ordinary occasions, if 
preferred. 

A young goose may be cut up and made in a pie or potpie. 

Ail old goose may be rendered eatable thus: Empty it and 






156 HOUSEHOLD. 

put it in hot water to cover it, and let it boil until tender, then 
roast it or make a fricassee. 

The vegetables to be served with roast goose are as follows: 
Plain boiled or mashed potatoes, mashed yellow turnips or winter 
squash, apples stewed with sugar, or cranberry jam, boiled 
onions, pickles and dressed celery. 

Dessert — Apple, pumpkin, custard or mince pies. 

To Choose Ducks. — Ducks must be fat and plump and 
thick on the breast. If a duck is young, the skin can be easily 
broken with the finger, and the feet are pliable. Tame ducks 
are prepared for the table the same as young geese. For roast- 
ing, have a hot fire, and baste freely and often; half an hour 
will be sufficient for the smallest, the larger in proportion. 
Wild ducks should be fat, the claws small, reddish and supple; 
if they are not fresh, on opening the beak there will be a dis- 
agreeable smell. The flesh of the hen is the most delicate. 
Pick them clean without scalding; cut the wings close to the 
body and empty it; cut off a part of the neck, and singe them 
nicely. 

Having drawn wild ducks, wipe them well inside with a 
cloth, rub each outside and in with a mixture of pepper and 
salt, cut a slice of white bread, dip it in hot water, spread it 
thick with butter, sprinkle pepper over and put it in the body, 
sew it up, truss the legs close to the body and fasten them wilh 
skewers; then split them or lay them on a trivet in a dripping- 
pan; have a bright, clear fire that they may roast quickly; put 
half a pint of water in the pan, put. to it a teaspoonful of salt 
and an onion sliced thin, baste with this ten or twelve minutes 
(to take off the fishy taste peculiar to wild ducks) throw it away, 
put half a pint of hot water in its place, put in a little pepper, 
baste the ducks with butter, dredge a little flour over and 
baste with the water in the pan; turn them that every part may 
be done. Half an hour, with a hot fire and frequent basting, 
will roast them nicely. Serve the ducks as hot as possible. 

Whilst the ducks are roasting, boil the giblets tender in a 
little water, chop or mince them fine, add to the mince pepper 
and salt, a small bit of butter and a tablespoonful of browned 
flour, when the ducks are done put it in the pan with the gravy, 
set it over the fire, stir it for a few min tes, then serve in a 



HOUSEHOLD. 15? 

tureen. Make a glass of wine hot, put to it a tablespoonful of 
currant jelly and white sugar each, and serve with ducks, or 
put a wineglass of port in the pan; a few minutes before taking 
them up baste the ducks once or twice with it; add a table- 
spoonful of jelly and the gravy. 

Or half roast wild ducks without seasoning. When they are 
brought to the table slice the breast, strew over pepper and 
salt, pour a little port wine over, or squeeze the juice of an 
orange or lemon over; add a bit of butter the size of an egg, 
sprinkle over a teaspoonful of fine white sugar, cut up the bird 
and set it over a chafing dish, turn it that it may be nicely 
done; or prepare it in this manner and set it on coals before a 
hot fire. 

Canvas Back Ducks. — Canvas back ducks are served in 
the same manner as wild ducks, without the onion in the bast- 
ing; as there is no disagreeable taste to destroy, that is not 
necessary. Canvas back ducks may be served the same as 
goose or tame duck. Roast them according to their size. 

Venison.- — The choice of venison is regulated by the fat, 
which when young is thick, clear and close. As it always be- 
gins to taint first towards the haunches, run a knife into that 
part; if it is tainted you will perceive a rank smell, and it will 
have a greenish appearance. 

Venison Steak Fried. — Cut venison steaks from the leg 
or loin, half an inch thick, dip them in rolled crackers or wheat 
flour; make of lard and sweet butter equal parts, or beef drip- 
pings, half the size of an egg, hot in a frying pan, rub the steaks 
over with a mixture of pepper and salt, cover the pan and let 
them fry quickly, until one side is a fine brown, then turn the 
other, and finish frying without the cover; take care that they 
are not over done, then add to the gravy a glass of red wine, or 
a wineglass of hot water, with a tablespoonful of currant jelly, 
stir it over the fire for a few minutes, then put it in the dish 
with the meat, and serve as hot as possible. Steak dishes of 
block tin, with heaters, are used for beef or venison. Lean 
steaks of fat beef cooked in this way are equal to venison, for 
which the beef should be kept till ready to taint, then rinse 
them in cold water, wipe them dry, and finish as directed; the 
tteaks should be cut small like venison. 



158 HOUSEHOLD. 

Pork. — Spare-Rib. — Broil the blade-bone and spare-rib 
nicely over a bright clear fire of coals; let it be well done. It is 
best to cover it whilst on the gridiron, as by so doing it is 
sooner done and the sweetness is kept in. Put the inside to 
the fire first, and let it be done nearly through before turning 
it; when done, take it on a hot dish, butter it well, season with 
pepper and salt, and serve hot. 

Sausage Meat. — Take of pork three-quarters, and one of 
beef, chop it fine, put four ounces of fine salt, and one of pep- 
per to every ten pounds of meat; mix the seasoning well into 
the meat; then put it in small muslin bags, tie them close, and 
hang them in a dry, cool cellar. When wanted for use, cut it 
in slices, or form it in small cakes, flour the outside of each, 
and fry in hot lard. Let them be nicely browned. Serve 
with boiled vegetables. Fine hominy may be boiled and served 
with them for breakfast. 

Pork Sausages. — Take such a proportion of fat and lean 
pork as you like, chop it quite fine, and for every ten pounds 
of meat take four ounces of fine salt, and one of fine pepper; 
dried sage or lemon thyme, finely powdered, may be added, if 
liked; a teaspoonful of sage, and the same of ground allspice 
and cloves, to each ten pounds of meat. Mix the seasoning 
through the meat, pack it down in stone pots, or put it in mus- 
lin bags. Or fill the hog's or ox's guts, having first made them 
perfectly clean, thus: empty them, cut them in lengths, and lay 
them three or four days in salt and water, or weak lime water; 
turn them inside out once or twice; scrape them; then rinse 
them and fill with the meat. 

To Roast a Pig. — Thoroughly clean the pig; then rinse it 
in cold water, wipe it dry; then rub the inside with a mixture 
of salt and pepper, and, if liked, a little pounded and sifted 
sage; make a stuffing thus: cut some wheat bread in slices half 
an inch thick, spread butter on to half its thickness, sprinkled 
with pepper and salt, and, if liked, a little pounded sage and 
minced onion ; pour enough hot water over the bread to make 
it moist or soft, then fill the body with it and sew it together, 
or tie a cord around it to keep the dressing in, then spit; put 
a pint of water in the dripping-pan, put into it a tablespoonful 
of salt, and a teaspoonful of pepper, let the fire be hotter & 



HOUSEHOLD. 159 

each end than in the middle, put the pig down at a little dis- 
tance from the fire, baste it as it begins to roast, and gradually 
draw it nearer; continue to baste occasionally, turn it that it may 
be evenly cooked; when the eyes drop out it is done; or a bet- 
ter rule is to judge by the weight, fifteen minutes for each 
pound of meat, if the fire is right. 

Have a bright, clear fire with a bed of coals at the bottom; 
first put the roast at a little distance, and gradually draw it 
nearer; when the pig is done stir up the fire, take a coarse cloth 
with a good bit of butter in it, and wet the pig all over with it, 
and when the cracking is crisp take it up; dredge a little flour 
into the gravy, let it boil up once, and having boiled the heart, 
liver, etc., tender, and chopped it fine, add to it the gravy, 
give it one boil, then serve. 

To Bake a Pig. — Prepare a pig as for roasting, and lay it 
on a trivet or on muffin rings in a dripping-pan, stick bits of 
butter all over it, sprinkle pepper and salt over, and dredge 
some flour over; put in a pint or more of water in the pan, then 
set it in a quick or hot oven, baste frequently, when nearly 
done, baste with a spoonful of butter, and close the oven to 
finish; then take it up, dredge a tablespoonful of flour to the 
gravy, set it over the fire to brown, stir it smooth, and if nec- 
essary add a little hot water, let it boil up once, then strain it 
and serve with the pig. Pig to roast or bake may be stuffed 
with boiled potatoes, seasoned with butter, pepper and salt, 
and made soft with a cup of milk. 

Sauces to Serve with Roast Pig or Pork. — Mashed 
potatoes, boiled onions, turnips mashed, pickled beets, man- 
goes of cucumbers, or dressed celery and cranberry sauce, 
stewed apples or currant jelly. 

To Roast a Loin. — Take a sharp penknife and cut the 
skin across, then cut over it in the opposite direction so as to 
form small squares or diamonds; rub every part of it with a 
mixture of salt and pepper, put bits of butter the size of a 
hickory nut over the skin side, and roast or bake it; serve with 
the gravy, boiled potatoes mashed, turnips mashed, and dressed 
celery or pickles, and tart apples stewed without sugar. 

Pork Tender Loin. — This part of pork is the most deli- 






160 HOUSEHOLD. 

cafce; it may oe got where pork is cut up for packing or salting. 
It may be fried or broiled; if it is too thick, split it in two. 
Steaks cut from the tender-loin are nice, but not equal to the 
tender-loin which is cut with the grain; steaks are cut across it. 
The chine of pork may be roasted. 

Pig's Feet Soused. — Scald and scrape clean the feet; if the 
covering of the toes will not come off without, singe them in 
hot embers until they are loose, then take them off. Many 
persons lay them in a weak lime-water to whiten them. Having 
"scraped them clean and white, wash them and put them in a 
pot of hot (not boiling) water, with a little salt, and let them 
boil gently, until, by turning a fork in the flesh, it will easily 
break, and the bones are loosened. Take off the scum as it 
rises. When done, take them from the hot water into cold 
vinegar, enough to cover them; add to it one-third as much of 
th@ water in which they were boiled; add whole pepper and 
allspice, with cloves and mace, if liked; put a cloth and tight- 
fitting cover over the pot or jar. Boil until the bones are loose. 
Soused feet may be eaten cold from the vinegar, split in two 
from top to toe; or, having split them, dip them in wheat flour 
and fry in hot lard, or broil and butter them. In either case, 
let them be nicely browned. 

To Boil Ham. — Wash the ham in cold water two or three 
tinges, and put it into a kettle of hot (not boiling) water to 
cover it; let it boil gently according to its weight (fifteen 
minutes to each pound); it must be kept slowly boiling all the 
time; keep the pot covered, except to take off the scum as it 
rises; if it is likely to boil over, take the lid partly off. 

Putting meat down to boil in cold water draws out its juices. 
Hard or fast boiling makes it tough and hard. Ham which 
has been smoked a long time, should be soaked over night. 
When it is done, take off the skin, trim off the under side 
neatly, and put spots of pepper, and stick cloves at regular 
intervals, over the whole upper surface; or dredge it well 
with wheat flour or rolled crackers, and brown it in a hot 
oven, or before a hot fire. Serve hot with the gravy from it 
and boiled vegetables; or it may be served cold. Trim the 
bone with parsley, or the delicate leaves of celery, and put 
sprigs of the same around it on the dish; lemon sliced and 



HOUSEHOLD. 161 

dipped in flour or batter and fried, may be laid over the Lam 
and on the dish. Mashed potatoes, stewed apple, or cranberry, 
celery, or boiled spinach, or cauliflower and mashed turnips are 
served with hot ham. 

With cold ham serve pickles or dressed celery, or both, and 
bread and butter sandwich. 

To Boil a Leg of Pork. — Take a leg of pork which has 
been in pickle for three or four days, soak it for half an hour 
in cold water to make it look white; then tie it in a nicely 
floured cloth, and put it in hot water to cover it. Boil the same 
as ham. When done, take a small sharp knife, and cut through 
the skin in a straight line about a quarter of an inch apart; put 
spots of pepper over and serve with the same vegetables as for 
ham; or with mashed potatoes, turnips mashed, and pickles or 
tart apples stewed without sugar. Currant jelly or cranberries 
may be served with ham or leg of pork. 

Pig's Cheek — Is smoked and boiled like ham with vegeta- 
bles; boiled cabbage or fried parsnips maybe served with it. 

Pork Chops, Steaks and Cutlets. — Fry or stew pork 
chops, after taking off the rind or skin, the same as for veal. 
Cutlets and steaks are also fried, broiled, or stewed, the same 
as veal. 

To Fry or Broil Salt Pork and Bacon. — Cut some 
slices from corned pork, or streaked bacon (fat and lean), put 
them in a pan, pour boiling water over, set it over the fire, and 
let it boil up once; then pour the water off, and fry them in 
their jwn fat, sprinkle with pepper, and, if liked, a little dried 
sage, or thyme, pounded fine; when both sides are nicely 
browned, take them up, put a little hot water or some vinegar 
in the pan, let it boil up once, and put it in the dish with the 
meat. Or, having fried the meat, dredge a teaspoonful of 
flour into the gravy; while it is hot, stir it about; then add 
a little hot water, stir it smooth, and pour into the dish with 
the meat. 

To Broil. — After having parboiled the slices with plenty 
of water in the pan, lay them on a gridiron, over a bright fire 
of coals; sprinkle a little pepper over; when both sides are 
done, put them on a hot dish, put a little butter over and 

if 



263 HOUSEHOLD. 

serve. Or, whilst broiling, dip the slices several times into a 
dish of hot water. 

Salt pork is very nice fried thus: Cut it in thin slices, put 
them in the frying-pan with hot water to cover them; set it 
over the fire, let it boil up once, then pour off the water, shake 
a little pepper over the meat, and fry it nicely in its own fat, 
both sides; then take it up, add to the gravy a large teaspoon - 
ful of flour, stir it smooth; then put to it a cup of milk, 
stir over the fire for a few minutes, shake pepper over, and put 
it in the dish with the meat. 

Cold boiled potatoes, sliced thin, may be fried in the pan, 
after pork or bacon, and served with it; parsnips boiled, cut 
in thin slices and fried, may also be served with fried salt meat. 
Or, having boiled some cabbage or spinach, and pressed all the 
water from it, cut it small, put it on a steak dish, lay the fried 
meat on it, and pour the gravy over. Vinegar is generally 
eaten with the vegetables. 

To Fry Ham. — Cut some large slices from the large end 
of the ham, take off the skin, put them in a frying-pan, and 
pour hot water over; set if over the fire and let it boil up once, 
then pour the water off, take the slices up, put a spoonful of 
lard in the frying-pan and let it become hot; dip the slices in 
rolled cracker or wheat flour, and fry them a nice brown; when 
one side is done, turn the other; then take them on a dish, put 
a very little water in the pan, let it boil up once, put it over 
the meat. Or, if a flour gravy is wanted, make a thin batter 
with a teaspoonful of flour and cold water, and stir it into 
the gravy in the pan, let it brown, and, if too thick, put a little 
hot water to it, stir it smooth, and serve with the meat. 

To Broil Ham. — Cut some slices of ham, quarter of an 
inch thick, lay them in hot water for half an hour, or give 
them a scalding in a pan over the fire, then take them up and 
lay them on a gridiron over bright coals; then take the slices 
on a hot dish, butter them freely, sprinkle pepper over and 
serve. Or, after scalding them, wipe them dry, dip each slice 
in beaten egg, and then into rolled crackers and fry or broil. 

Ham Gravy. — When a ham is almost done with, cut 
off what meat remains on the bone, break or saw the bones 
small, and put it into a saucepan with hot water to cover it; 



HOUSEHOLD. 163 

set the stewpan over the fire and let it simmer gently; then 
strain it, add a little pepper and fine sage, if liked, dredge in a 
tablespoonful of browned flour, and add a bit of butter; stir it 
over the fire for a few minutes; then, having toasted some 
slices of bread a nice brown, lay them in a dish and serve the 
gravy over. Or, serve ham gravy with boiled vegetables. 
. . Ham and Eggs Fried. — Cut some nice slices of ham, put 
them in a frying-pan, cover them with hot water, and set the 
pan over the fire, let it boil up once or twice, then take out the 
slices and throw out the water; put a bit of lard in the pan, dip 
the slices in wheat flour or rolled crackers, and, when the fat is 
hot, put them in the pan, sprinkle a little pepper over; when 
both sides are a fine brown, take them on a steak dish, put a 
little boiling water into the pan, and put it in the dish with the 
meat. 

Now put a bit of lard the size of a large egg into the pan, 
add a saltspoonful to it, let it become hot; break six or eight 
eggs carefully into a bowl, then slip them into the hot lard, set 
the pan ever a gentle fire; when the white begins to set, pas2 a 
knife blade so as to divide an equal quantity of white to each 
yolk, cut it entirely through to the pan that they may cook the 
more quickly; when done, take each one up with a skimmer 
spoon, and lay them in a chain around the meat on the dish. 
Fried eggs should not be turned in the pan. 

Poached Eggs with Fried Ham. — Fry the ham as above 
directed, take a clean frying or omelet pan, nearly fill it with 
boiling water, set it over a gentle fire, break the eggs singly 
into a cup and slip each one into the boiling water, cover the 
pan for four or five minutes; when done, take them up with a 
skimmer on to a dish, sprinkle a little pepper and salt over, 
add a small bit of butter, and serve in a dish or over the ham. 

Pork and Beans. — Take two quarts of dried white beans 
(the small ones are best), pick out any imperfections, and put 
them to soak in hot water, more than to cover them, let them 
remain one night; the next day, about two hours before dinner 
time, throw off the water, have a pound of nicely corned pork; 
a rib piece is best; put the beans in an iron dinner-pot, score 
the rind or skin of the pork in squares or diamonds, and lay it 
on the beans, put in hot (not boiling) water to cover them, add 



164 HOUSEHOLD. 

a small dried red-pepper, or a saltspoonful of cayenne, cover 
the pot close, and set it over a gentle fire for one hour; then 
take a tin basin or earthen pudding-pan, rub the inside over 
with a bit of butter, and nearly fill it with the boiled beans, 
lay the pork in the centre, pressing it down a little, put small 
bits of butter over the beans, dredge a little flour over them 
and the pork, and set it in a moderately hot oven for nearly 
one hour. 

Serve in the dish in which it was baked, thus: Lay a nicely 
fringed small napkin on a dinner plate, set the basin or pan on 
that, turn the corners of the napkin up against it, and keep it 
in place by sprigs of green parsley or celery leaves on the plate 
under it, and so continue a wreath around the dish, concealing 
the pan entirely. Serve pickles and mashed potatoes with it. 

Succotash. — Take of dried sweet corn and white beans, 
one quart of dried sweet corn to one or two of beans. Put the 
beans to soak in a basin with water to cover them; rinse the 
corn in cold water, and put them in a basin with water to cover 
it, let them remain until the next day; within two hours of din- 
ner time, pour the water from the beans, pick out any imper- 
fections, and put them with the corn, with the water in which 
it is soaked, into a dinner-pot; cut a pound of nicely corned 
pork in thin slices, put it to the corn and beans, and put over 
them hot water, rather more than to cover them, add a very 
small red pepper, or a saltspoonful or cayenne, and cover the 
pot close; set it where it will boil very gently, for an hour 
and a half, then put it in a deep dish, add a bit of butter to it 
and serve. The pork may be scored, and not cut up, if pre- 
ferred, and served in a separate dish. 

To Boil Salted or Corned Beef. — Wash the brine from 
a piece of corned beef and put it in a pot of hot (not boiling) 
water, take off the scum as it rises, then try if it is tender; let 
it boil gently. When it is done, take it up and press it between 
two plates. 

Cabbage, or spinach, or some other greens, are generally 
boiled with salt beef; put down the beef in time that it may be 
done before it is time to boil the vegetables, and set it to press 
while the vegetables are boiling. 



HOUSEHOLD. 165 

To Prepare the Cabbage. — Take off the discolored out- 
side leaves, and cut each head in four; look well between the 
leaves to see that no insects are secreted; wash the quarters, 
and put them in the water in which the meat was boiled; set it 
over the fire and let it boil fast for three quarters of an hour; 
if you wish the potatoes boiled with it, choose large, equal 
sized ones, and put them in with the cabbage; when they are 
done take the potatoes into a covered dish, put the cabbage 
into a cullender, press out all the water. If you wish to have 
the meat hot, after pressing it, put it into the pot ten minutes 
before taking up the vegetables. Serve the cabbage and pota- 
toes in covered dishes, and the meat on an oval dish. 

Parsnip Stew. — Cut half a pound of fat salt pork or bacon 
in slices, and a pound of beef or veal in bits, put them in a 
dinner-pot with very little water. Scrape some parsnips, and 
cut them in slices an inch thick, wash and put them to the 
meat; pare and cut six small sized potatoes in halves. Cover 
the pot close and set it over a bright fire for half an hour; 
then dredge in a tablespoonful of wheat flour, add a small bit 
of butter, and a small teaspoonful of pepper, stir it in, and set 
it over the fire to brown for fifteen minutes. Take the stew 
into a dish and serve. 

Lamb. — To Choose Lamb. — The vein in the neck of a fore- 
quarter of a lamb will be a fine blue, if it is fresh; if it is of a 
green or yellowish color it is stale. 

The hind-quarter first becomes tainted under the kidney. 

A fore-quarter includes the shoulder, neck and breast. 

The pluck is sold with the head, liver, heart and lights. 
The melt is not used with us. 

The fry contains the sweet-breads, skirts, and some of the 
liver. 

Lamb may be hashed, stewed, roasted, fried, broiled, or 
made in a pie, the same as veal. 

To Broil a Breast of Lamb. — Have a clear, bright fire 
of coals; when the gridiron is hot rub it over with a bit of suet, 
then lay on the meat, the inside to the fire first, let it broil 
gently; when it is nearly cooked through turn the other side; 
let it brown nicely, put a good bit of butter on a steak dish 



166 HOUSEHOLD. 

work a large teaspoonful of salt and a small one of pepper into 
it, lay the meat upon it, turn it once or twice, and serve hot. 
The shoulder may be broiled in the same manner. 

Lamb Stewed with Peas. — Cut the scrag or breast of 
lamb in pieces, and put it in a stewpan with water enough to 
cover it. Cover the stewpan close, and let it simmer or stew 
for fifteen to twenty minutes; take off the scum, then add a 
tablespoonful of salt and a quart of shelled peas; cover the 
stewpan and let them stew for half an hour; work a small 
tablespoonful of wheat flour with a quarter of a pound of but 
ter, and stir it into the stew; add a small teaspoonful of 
pepper; let it simmer together for ten minutes. Serve with 
new potatoes, boiled. A blade of mace may be added if 
liked. 

Quarter of Lamb Roasted. — Wash a quarter of lamb 
with cold water, mix a large tablespoonful of salt, and a heaping 
teaspoonful of pepper, and rub it well over every part of the 
meat; then split it, or lay it on muffin rings or a trivet in a 
dripping-pan; put a pint of water in the pan to baste with, set 
it before the fire in a Dutch oven or reflector, or in a hot stove 
oven, baste very often after it begins to roast; lay it so that the 
thickest part may be nearest the fire; allow fifteen minutes for 
each pound of meat; baste with the water in the pan until 
nearly done; add more to it as it wastes, then put to it a quar- 
ter of a pound of butter, baste the meat with it, dredge it white 
with flour, stir up the fire to brown it. 

To Prepare a Quarter of Lamb For Broiling. — Wash 
a quarter of lamb in cold water, then rub it all over with a 
mixture of salt and pepper, dredge well with wheat flour, and 
put in a pot of hot (not boiling) water; cover the pot and let 
it boil gently, allowing fifteen minutes for each pound of meat; 
take off the scum as it rises. Served with boiled potatoes and 
parsley, or drawn butter sauce, and mint sauce, and lettuce 
dressed. Break the leaves from some white heart lettuce and 
rinse each one in cold water, then cut them small, put a tea- 
spoonful of made mustard with a teaspoonfnl of sugar, and 
the same of oil, beat them together in a cup; then add enough 
vinegar to fill a cup, and pour it over the lettuce. 



HOUSEHOLD. 167 

Mutton. — Observations on Mutton. — The pipe which 
runs along the bone inside of a chine or saddle of mutton, 
must be taken out. If it is to be kept any length of time, wipe 
the meat perfectly dry, and rub pepper over it in every part. 
Whenever you find any moisture, wipe it dry, rub it with pep- 
per, and dredge flour over. The kernels should be taken out 
by the butcher. 

Mutton for roasting or steaks should hang as long as it will 
keep without tainting. Let it hang in the air in a cool, dry 
place. Pepper will keep flies from it. The chine or rib bones 
should be wiped every day. The bloody part of the neck 
should be cut off. In the breast the brisket changes first. In 
the hind quarter, the part under and about the kidneys is first 
to taint. Mutton for stewing or broiling should not be so long 
kept. It will not be so fine a color if it is. The lean of mutton 
should be a clear red, fine, close grain, and tender to the 
touch. The fat should be firm and white. Skewer a piece 
of letter paper over the fat of mutton whilst roasting. When 
nearly done, take it off. 

Haunch of Mutton. — Keep the haunch as long as you 
can, and have it sweet, wash it in vinegar and water before 
dressing it. Before putting the meat to the fire, rub it all over 
with a mixture of pepper and salt; make a stiff paste of wheat 
flour and water, roll it thin, and put it over the meat; have a 
large, bright fire, and set the meat at a little distance from it 
(allow fifteen minutes to each pound of meat); when half done, 
take off the paste, draw it nearer the fire, and baste freely 
with water from the pan; turn it so that every part may be 
done; half an hour before taking it up, stir up the fire, put 
quarter of a pound of butter in the pan, baste with it, dredge 
the meat white with flour, baste again, turn the meat over, 
baste freely, and dredge more flour over, and baste again; the 
fire must be bright for finishing. When done, take it up, put 
the dripping-pan over the fire, cut a lemon in thin slices into 
it, dredge in a large tablespoonful of browned flour, stir it 
smooth for ten minutes, then strain into a gravy tureen, and 
serve with the slices of lemon. Or, instead of a lemon, put a 
wineglass of port wine to the gravy. 

Boiled potatoes, asparagus; or spinach, dressed celery, and 
currant jelly, is served with roast mutton. 



168' HOUSEHOLD. 

Putting the paste over the meat keeps in its juices, and 
therefore makes it sweeter. A gravy may be made of a pound 
of loin of mutton, cut small and simmered in a pint of water 
till reduced to half; salt it a little, stir in a teaspoonful of 
browned flour and a little pepper; let it boil up once, then 
strain it, and serve with the meal and currant jelly. 

A Shoulder of MuTTON.'-^Broil a shoulder of mutton, 
over a clear, bright fire of coals, l«t it broil gently, putting the 
inside to the fire first, cover it with <i tin; when nearly done 
through, turn it; let it brown nicely; when it is done, take it 
on to a hot steak dish, sprinkle a smaV tablespoonful of salt 
and a teaspoonful of pepper over; butter h freely, turn it onca 
or twice in the seasoning, turn the inside down, cover it with a 
tin cover, and serve hot, with boiled hominy, or potatoes', foi 
breakfast. The shoulder may be boned, before broiling. 

To Broil a Breast of Mutton. — Parboil a breast of 
mutton, then wipe it dry, and broil it as directed for shoulder. 

Mutton Chop Fried.— Cut some fine mutton chops with- 
out much fat; rub over both sides with a mixture of salt and 
pepper, dip them in wheat flour or rolled crackers, and fry in 
hot lard or beef drippings; when both sides are a fine brown, 
take them on a hot dish, put a wineglass of hot water in the 
pan, let it become hot, stir in a teaspoonful of browned flour, 
let it boil up once, and serve in the pan with the meat. A 
tablespoonful of currant jelly may be stirred into the gravy, or 
a wineglass of port wine instead of water. Or, cut a lemon in 
thin slices, take out the pits, and fry them brown with a bit of 
butter in the pan, dredge in a teaspoonful of browned flour, 
add a wineglass of hot water, stir it for a few minutes over 
the fire, then serve in the dish with the meat. 

Leg of Mutton Boiled. — Wash a leg of mutton, dredge 
it well with flour, and wrap it in a cloth, then put it in a pot of 
hot water, and boil according to its weight. Serve with drawn 
butter or parsley sauce, with boiled vegetables and pickles. 

Eggs. — To Choose Eggs. — Fresh eggs, when held to the 
light, the white will look clear, and the yellow distinct; if not 
good, they will have a clouded appearance. 

When eggs are stale, the white will be thin and watery, and 



HOUSEHOLD. 169 

the yolfo»will not be a uniform color, when broken; if there is 
no mustiness, or disagreeable smell, eggs in this state are not 
unfit for making cakes, puddings, etc. 

Eggs for boiling should be as fresh as possible; a new laid 
egg will generally recommend itself, by the delicate transpa- 
rency of its shell. 

To Boil Eggs. — Wash the shells clean in cold water be- 
fore boiling; have a stewpan of boiling water, into which put 
the eggs; keep it boiling — four minutes for very soft — five, 
that the yolk only may be soft — six minutes will boil the yolk 
hard, for eating. Eight minutes are required to boil eggs for 
salad or garnish. When done, take them from the boiling 
water, into a basin of cold water, which will prevent the yolk 
turning dark or black. 

Egg Omelet. — Five well-beaten eggs, one and a half cups 
of milk, three tablespoonfuls of flour; mix the flour in a little 
milk, and rub smooth, then add milk and flour to eggs, and 
beat well together; grease well with lard a frying-pan; put in 
when not very hot, a large teaspoonful, it will cover about half; 
turn with knife when light brown, and roll up as it browns. 

Ham Omelet. — One-half pint of milk, two teaspoonfuls 
of flour, three teaspoonfuls of cracker crumbs, six eggs. Put 
thinly and evenly over the griddle; then immediately scatter 
over it finely minced ham. Double it, then fold again in a 
quarter circle. 

Omelet. — Set a smooth frying-pan on the fire to heat; 
break five eggs into a bowl; put butter the size of an egg into 
a heated pan, give twelve strong beats to your eggs, and, when 
the butter begins to boil, pour in the eggs. Draw up the eggs 
from the bottom of the pan, but do not stir, simply shake the 
pan. When the bottom is well done, and the top a little soft, 
fold over and put on a platter. Serve immediately. This may 
be varied by the addition of three tablespoonfuls of milk. 

Baked Eggs. — Six eggs, four tablespoonfuls of good gravy, 
veal, beef or poultry; the latter is particularly nice; one hand- 
ful of bread crumbs, six rounds of buttered toast or fried 
bread. Put the gravy into a shallow baking dish, break the 
eggs into this, pepper and salt them, and strew the bread 



170 HOUSEHOLD. 

crumbs over them. Bake for five minutes in a quick oven. 
Take up the eggs carefully, one by one, and lay upon the toast, 
which must be arranged on a hot, flat dish. Add a little 
cream, and, if you like, some very finely chopped parsley and 
onion to the gravy left in the baking dish, and turn it into a 
saucepan. Boil up once quickly, aud pour over the eggs. 

Eggs Sur le Prat. — Six eggs, one tablespoonful of but- 
ter, or nice dripping, pepper and salt to taste. Melt the butter 
on a stone china or tin plate, or shallow baking dish. Break 
the eggs carefully into this, dust lightly with pepper and salt, 
and put into a moderate oven until the whites are well set. 
Serve in the dish in which they were baked. 

Eggs Poached in Balls. — Put three pints of boiling 
water into a stewpan; set it on a hot stove or coals; stir the 
water with a stick until it runs rapidly around, then having 
broken an egg into a cup — taking care not to break the yolk — 
drop it into the whirling water, continue to stir it until the egg 
is cooked; then take into a dish with a skimmer and set it over 
a pot of boiling water; boil one at a time, until you have 
enough. These will remain soft for a long time. Or, put 
some hot water in a frying pan; break in the eggs; let it set 
over the fire, without boiling, until they are done; then serve 
on toast 

Sweet-Breads. — Veal Sweet-Breads — Spoil very soon; 
the moment they come from the butcher's they should be put 
in cold water to soak for about an hour; lard them or draw a 
lardoon of pork through the centre of each one; put into salt 
boiling water or stock and let boil for fifteen or twenty min- 
utes; throw them into cold water for only a few moments, they 
will now be firm and white; remove carefully the skinny portion 
and pipes. 

Sweet-Breads Stewed. — Wash carefully, remove all bits 
of skin and fatty matter, cover with cold water and heat to a 
boil; pour off the hot water and cover with cold until the 
sweet-breads are firm. If liked, add butter as for frying before 
you put in the second water; stir in a very little water the 
second time. When they are tender, add for each sweet-bread 
a heaping teaspoonful of butter, a little chopped parsley, pep- 




HOUSEHOLD. 171 

per, salt, and a little cream. Let them simmer in this gravy 
for five minutes. Send to table in a covered dish with the 
gravy poured over them. 

Sweet-Breads Roasted. — Parboil and put into cold 
water for fifteen minutes; change to more cold water for five 
minutes longer; wipe perfectly dry, lay them in a dripping-pan 
and roast, basting with butter and water until they begin to 
brown; then withdraw them for an instant, roll in beaten egg, 
then in cracker crumbs, and return to the fire for ten minutes 
longer, basting meanwhile twice with melted butter. Keep hot 
in a dish while you add to the dripping half a cup of hot water, 
some chopped parsley, a teaspoonful of browned flour and the 
juice of half a lemon. Pour over the sweet-breads and serve 
at once. 

Broiled Sweet-Breads. — Parboil and blanch by putting 
them first in hot water and keeping it at a fast boil for five 
minutes. Then plunging it into ice cold water, a little salted. 
When the sweet-breads have lain in this ten minutes, wipe 
them very dry, and with a sharp knife split them each in half 
lengthwise. Broil on a clear, hot fire, turning every minute as 
they begin to drip. Have ready on a deep plate some melted 
butter, well salted and peppered, mixed with catsup or pungent 
sauce. When the sweet-breads are done to a fine brown, lay 
them in this, turning them over several times, and set covered 
in a warm oven. Lay toast upon a plate or chafing-dish and a 
sweet-bread on each, and pour the hot butter, in which they 
have been lying, over them, and send to the table. 

Vegetables. — Potatoes. — To be able to boil a potato per- 
fectly is one of the tests of a good cook, there being nothing 
in the whole range of vegetables which is apparently so difficult 
to accomplish. Like the making of good bread, nothing is 
simpler when once learned. A good, boiled potato should be 
white, mealy, and served very hot. If the potatoes are old, 
peel thinly with a sharp knife; cut out all spots, and let them 
lie in cold water some hours before using. It is more econom- 
ical to boil before peeling, as the best part of the potato lies 
next the skin; but most prefer them peeled. Put on in boiling 
water, allowing a teaspoonful of salt to every quart of water. 



in HOUSEHOLD. 

Medium sized potatoes will boil in half an hour. Let them be 
as nearly of a size as possible, and, if small and large are 
cooked at the same time, put on the large ones ten or fifteen 
minutes before the small. When done, pour off every drop 
of water; cover with a clean towel, and set on the back of the 
range to dry for a few minutes before serving. The poorest 
potato can be made tolerable by this treatment. Never let 
them wait for other things, but time the preparation of dinner 
so that they will be ready at the moment needed. New pota- 
toes require no peeling, but should merely be well washed and 
rubbed. 

Potato Snow.— Mash fine, and rub through a colan- 
der into a very hot dish, being careful not to press it down in 
any way, and serve hot as possible. 

Browned Potato. — Mash well boiled potatoes finely; mix 
with them, as you do so, a palatable allowance of butter and 
salt; nice beef dripping will do instead of butter; put into tin 
baking plates, and set in a hot oven till well browned. Give 
them twenty minutes' time. 

Cream Potato. — Mash finely; salt well; stir in a cupful 
of scalded cream to a dishful made with ten large sized pota- 
toes; add a little butter, by taste. Do all this in the hot pan 
they were steamed off in. Keep hot over the fire, where it can- 
not burn. Serve as soon as possible. 

Rice. — Wash and rinse repeatedly in cold water, till very 
white. Pick out all discolored grains, and other refuse articles. 
The best rice ought not to need much picking over. Let it 
soak in the last water an hour or more. Drain off all the 
water, and dry the rice on a large towel. Prepare it long 
enough beforehand to allow of its remaining awhile spread out 
on the cloth to dry more perfectly. It must not dry hard; 
simply let all the actual water be absorbed from it, leaving the 
kernels separate, and with a beginning of swelling and soft- 
ning from the moisture. Have a kettle with a good deal of 
boiling water in it. The rice must have room to scatter in it 
as it boils. See that it does scatter, by frequently stirring it up 
from the bottom with a fork. Never stir rice withra spoon. 
Let it boil fifteen minutes; then try a grain or two by tasting; 



HOUSEHOLD. 173 

the moment you find it tender enough to bite through without 
any feeling of hardness or rawness, take the kettle off, and 
pour the water away through a fine colander or vegetable 
strainer. Set the strainer, with the rice in it, on the back of the 
stove for about ten minutes, to let the grains dry perfectly. 

All depends upon the plenty of water, and the instant 
watching of the rice to detect the exact point of its sufficient 
softening. It must not boil a minute after you can bite it as 
before said. 

Macaroni.— Wash and soak like rice, having broken it up 
into lengths of six or eight inches. Wipe dry and put into a 
plenty of boiling water. Boil half an hour, in salted water. 
Meanwhile, for an average dishful, cream two tablespoonfuls of 
butter, scald a teacupful of cream, or rich milk, stir the hot 
cream gradually to the butter, adding a heaping saltspoonful of 
salt. Do not mix these till the macaroni is ready to be taken 
up. Turn off all the water carefully from the macaroni, pour 
the butter and cream upon it in the kettle, and set it back on 
the fire to turn it over in the dressing. Then dish for the 
table. 

Tomatoes. — Stewed: Pour boiling water over them, to 
take the skins off. Peel them nicely and cut them up. Put 
them into a saucepan with a little butter, allow a round table- 
spoonful to half a dozen tomatoes; salt, half a teaspoonful to 
as many; and a sprinkle of pepper. Stew three quarters of an 
hour. As they boil, after cooking about half an hour, dredge 
over, and stir in, two or three sprinkles of flour. Or, if you 
prefer, scatter and stir in fine cracker crumbs, until thickened 
a little. 

Fried: Mix together in a dish a little flour, pepper, and 
salt. A pinch of pepper and a large saltspoonful of salt to 
three tablespoonfuls of flour. Slice the tomatoes without skin- 
ning; lay each slice in the flour, turning it over to flour it well; 
or put your flour, pepper, and salt into a little sifter or sprink- 
ler, and dredge each tomato slice on both sides. 

Put enough butter into a frying-pan to cover the bottom 
when melted, let it heat till it sizzles, and then lay in the slices 
of tomato. Fry brown. 



174 HOUSEHOLD 

Broiled: Slice the tomatces without peeling. See that 
your fire is clear and hot. Put the slices in a wire toaster, and 
toast, carefully, like bread, or like broiling steak; turning often, 
to keep the juice in. Bring them to a nice, decided brown on 
both sides. Lay the slices in a dish, dropping on the middle 
of each one a bit of butter, and giving it a dust of salt and pep- 
per. Send to the table as hot as possible. 

Baked: Scald, peel, and slice. Butter a baking dish. Have 
ready a cupful of fine cracker crumbs. Put a layer of toma- 
toes in the dish, sprinkle them with pepper and salt, the former 
cautiously; drop a bit of butter on each slice, and strew cracker 
crumbs over the whole. Proceed in this way until you have 
used all your tomatoes, or filled the dish. Finish with a good 
sprinkle of crumbs, and drop bits of butter over the top. Bake 
an hour. 

Canned tomatoes: May be stewed or baked in the same 
way as fresh ones. 

Cauliflower. — Pick off the leaves; trim down the stalk; 
put the cauliflower in cold water. An hour before dinner, put 
it into a large porcelain kettle, or nice tin boiler, with a great 
deal of boiling water, salted. Let it boil steadily, but not in a 
furious manner, to toss and bruise it, for one hour. Prepare 
for it a cream butter sauce, without the spicing of mace. Take 
up the cauliflower carefully, with a large vegetable skimmer or 
f/ire ladle. Put it in the dish for table, and pour over it the 
cream sauce. 

Cabbage. — Wash it, examining it carefully, and stripping 
off the old outside leaves. Let it lie for an hour or two, as 
convenient, in cold water. Put it into a large potful of boiling 
water. Have a plenty more of boiling water, to renew with, 
as below. When it has boiled half long enough — see "Time- 
Table," for old and young cabbages — turn away all the water, 
and fill the pot with more; throwing in two or three spoonfuls 
of salt. Let it boil the remainder of the time, then take it out 
carefully upon a drainer, let the water run from it, and serve. 
A drawn butter sauce is nice, poured over it. Or, when well 
boiled, chop it fine, put it in a saucepan, stir butter with it, 
and sprinkle in a little pepper, put it on the fire, and stir it till 
boiling hot again. Or, chop and dress like cauliflower. 



HOUSEHOLD. 175 

Fried Potatoes. — Pare and slice the potatoes thin — if 
sliced in small flakes they look more inviting than when cut in 
larger pieces — keep in ice water two or three hours; then drain 
them dry, or dry them on a crash towel, and drop them into 
boiling lard; when nearly done take them out with a skimmer 
and drain them. Let them get cold, and then drop them 
again into boiling lard, and fry until well done. This last 
operation causes them to swell up and puff out; sprinkle with 
salt, and serve hot — our recipe says; but many like them cold 
as a relish for tea or with cold meats. 

Saratoga Potatoes. — Peel good sized potatoes and cut 
as thin as your cabbage cutter will slice them, and throw into 
cold water. After soaking an hour wipe them dry, and drop 
into boiling lard until a light brown. Skim them out into a 
colander and sprinkle with salt while hot. A wire basket is 
better to boil in, if you have it. 

Potato Puff. — Stir two cupfuls of mashed potatoes, two 
tablespoonfuls of melted butter and some salt to a light, fine and 
creamy condition; then add two eggs, well beaten (separately) 
and six tablespoonfuls of cream; beat it all well and lightly 
together; pile it in a rocky form on a dish; bake it in a quick 
oven until nicely colored; it will puff up quite light 

Creaming Potatoes.— Slice cold boiled potatoes very 
thin, have ready a saucepan of boiling milk, in which place the 
potatoes, with salt, a good sized piece of butter, and while boil- 
ing, thicken with flour, mixed with water, stirring until delicate 
and creamy; when ready dish for the table. The goodness of 
this dish depends much upon catering, just when ready; ten 
minutes being sufficient to prepare it. 

Oyster Plant. — Scrape the root, dropping each into cold 
water as soon as cleaned. Exposure to the air blackens them. 
Cut in pieces an inch long, put into a saucepan with hot water 
to cover them, and stew until tender. Turn off the water and 
add soup stock enough to cover them. Stew ten minutes 
after this begins to boil; put in a great lump of butter cut into 
bits and rolled in flour. Boil up once, and serve. 

Fried Salsify or Mock Oysters. — Scrape the roots 
thoroughly and lay in cold water ten or fifteen minutes. Boil 



176 HOUSEHOLD. 

whole until tender, and, when cold, mash with a wooden spoon 
to a smooth paste, picking out all the fibers. Moisten with a 
little milk, add a tablespoonful of butter, and an egg and a half 
for every cupful of salsify. Beat the egg light. Make into 
round cakes, dredge with flour and fry browo. 

Cooking Carrots. — Cut the carrots in small pieces and 
stew in a little water until tender; pour off what water is left; 
put in milk enough to make a sauce, and a good lump of 
butter rolled in flour; boil up again altogether, having added 
salt and pepper to taste. Celery is excellent prepared in the 
same way. 

Potato Fritters. — Mash and rub through a colander six 
good boiled potatoes; add a little salt, two tablespoonfuls of 
flour, one egg and the yolks of two others; beat the reserved 
whites to a stiff froth and stir it into the other ingredients, 
after they are well mixed; have ready a spider of hot lard, 
and drop by the spoonful, and boil as other fritters. This is a 
delicious breakfast dish. 

Mashed Potatoes. — Potatoes are not good for mashing 
until they are full grown; peel them, and lay them in water for 
an hour or more before boiling, tor mashing. 

Old potatoes, when unfit for plain boiling, may be served 
mashed; cut out all imperfections, take off all the skin and lay 
them in cold water for one hour or more; then put them into a 
dinner pot or stewpan, with a teaspoonful of salt, cover the 
stewpan and let them boil for half an hour unless they are 
large > when three-quarters of an hour will be required; when 
they are done, take them up with a skimmer into a wooden bowl 
or tray, and mash them fine with a potato-beetle; melt a piece 
of butter the size of a large egg into half a pint of hot milk, 
mix it with the mashed potatoes until it is thoroughly incorpor- 
ated, and a smooth mass; then put it in a deep dish, smooth 
the top over, and mark it neatly with a knife; put pepper over 
and serve. T,he quantity of milk used must be in proportion 
to the quantity of potatoes. 

Mashed potatoes may be heaped on a flat dish; make it in a 
crown or pineapple; stick a sprig of green celery or parsley in 
the top; or, first brown it before the fire or in an oven. 
Mashed potatoes may be made a highly ornamental dish; after 




HOUSEHOLD. , 177 

fhaping it as taste may direct, trim the edge of the plate with 
a wreath of green celery leaves or parsley; or first brown the 
outside before the fire or in an oven. 

Hashed Potatoes. — Peel and chop some cold boiled 
potatoes, put them into a stewpan with a very little milk or 
water to moisten them, put to them a small bit of butter and 
pepper and salt to taste, cover the stewpan close, and set it 
over a gentle fire for ten or fifteen minutes; stir them once or 
twice whilst cooking. Serve hot for breakfast. 

Sweet, or Carolina Potatoes. — The best sweet potatoes 
are from the Southern States; those raised in New Jersey are 
iiot nearly as sweet as those from the South. 

The best manner of serving sweet potatoes is roasted or 
baked. 

To Bake Sweet Potatoes. — Wash them perfectly clean, 
wipe them dry, and bake in a quick oven, according to their 
size — half an hour for quite small-sized, three-quarters for 
larger, and a full hour for the largest. Let the oven have a 
good heat, and do not open it unless it is necessary to turn 
them, until they are done. 

Roasted Sweet Potatoes. — Having washed them clean 
and wiped them dry, roast them on a hot hearth as directed for 
common potatoes, or put them in a Dutch oven, or tin reflector. 
Roasted or baked potatoes should not be cut, but broken open 
and eaten from the skin, as from a shell. 

To Boil Sweet Potatoes. — Wash them perfectly clean, 
put them into a pot or stewpan, and pour boiling water over 
to cover them; cover the pot close, and boil for half an hour, 
or more if the potatoes are large; try them with a fork; when 
done, strain off the water, take off the skins, and serve. 

Cold sweet potatoes may be cut in slices across or length- 
wise, and fried or broiled as common potatoes; or they may be 
cut in half and served cold. Sweet potatoes are made pie of, 
the same as pumpkin pie. 

Young Turnips. — Cut off the grees leaves of new turnips, 

leaving an inch or more of the stalk; pare them, and trim them 

neatly, put them into a pot of boiling water, with a teaspoonf ul 

of salt; cover the pot, and let them boil fast for half an hour 

13 



1?8 HOUSEHOLD. 

or until perfectly tender; put butter and pepper over, and serve 
hot. Or serve with drawn butter over. 

Ruta Baga — Or large winter turnip, may be cut in quar- 
ters or slices, and boiled with meat, and served with a little 
butter and pepper over; or boil in water with a little salt; take 
off the thick outside rind, and cut them in quarters and slices, 
and boil them for half an hour or more, until they are soft-, 
then drain off the water and mash them fine, add a bit of but- 
ter and pepper to taste, work them smooth, then put them into 
a covered dish, smooth the upper surface over, and mark it 
with a knife-blade in flutes, meeting in the centre, or make it 
in a pyramid or pineapple, and serve. 

Summer Squash. — Young green squashes must be fresh to 
be fit for eating; if they are so, the outside will be crisp when 
cut with the nail. Cut them in quarters, and if not very tender, 
pare off the outside skin; take the seed and strings from the 
inside, and cut the squashes small; then put them into a stew- 
pan, with a teaspoonful of salt to a common-sized squash; 
pour boiling water on nearly to cover them, cover the stewpan, 
and let them boil fast, until they are tender; half an hour is 
generally enough; take them from the water into a colander 
with a skimmer, press the water from them, then take them on 
to a dish, mash them smooth, add a bit of butter and pepper to 
taste, put them into a dish and serve. 

Winter Squash. — Cut the large yellow or winter squash 
small, take off the outside skin and the inside strings and seeds; 
then put it into a stewpan, with hot water to cover it; cover 
the stewpan for half an hour or longer until they are tender; 
take them into a colander with a skimmer, press out the water; 
then take them into a dish and mash them perfectly smooth; 
add a good bit of butter, and pepper and salt to taste; make it 
in a neat form, the same as mashed turnips or potatoes, but do 
not brown it; put pepper over in spots, and garnish with sprigs 
of parsley, or celery leaves, if you wish it ornamental. 

Sprouts and Greens.— Cabbage sprouts, young beet tops, 
and the green leaves of young turnips, or boiled with salt meats, 
or in clear water, with a little salt. 

Beets. — Winter beets should be put in cold water over 






HOUSEHOLD. 



179 



night to take off the earthy taste which they are apt to have; 
before boiling wash them clean, put them into a pot of boiling 
water, and boil fast; if not very large, one hour will be sufficient 
for them; should they be very large, one hour and a half or two 
hours will be required; when done, take them into a pan of cold 
water, rub the skins off with the hands, and cut them in thin 
slices; put them into a deep dish, strew a little salt and pepper 
over, and pour on cold vinegar nearly to cover them; prepare 
them an hour before serving, with roasted or fried meat; if to 
be served with cold or boiled meat, make a cup of vinegar hot, 
put a large tablespoonful of butter to it; add pepper and salt to 
taste, and serve hot. Winter beets may be cut in halves or 
quarters, and pickled by covering them with cold vinegar. 

Beets must be washed, but never cut before boiling, else 
they will lose their fine color. " 

Spinach. — Take off every discolored leaf from the bunches; 
put them into a large pan or pail of water, and wash each clus- 
ter of leaves separately, shaking it well in the water, otherwise 
it will be gritty and sandy; washing it in this way through two 
waters, will generally be enough; have a large kettle of water 
boiling fast, put in the spinach; cover the pot and let it boil 
fast for fifteen minutes, it will sink when done; then take it into 
a colander wi»h a skimmer, press the water from it, cut it 
small with a knife, press it again, put a good bit of butter and 
a little pepper to suit; put it into a deep dish, smooth the sur- 
face over, let it rise high in the center, cut a cold boiled egg in 
slices and lay them over, serve hot with a cover; or it may be 
served on a flat dish; put it neatly on, lay hard boiled and 
sliced egg over. Spinach is boiled with salt beef, pork or ham. 
After the meat is done, take it up and press it between two 
plates that it may be cut nicely; meanwhile put the spinach 
into the pot, let it boil fast for fifteen minutes, then take it into 
a colander, press all the water from it, cut it small and serve 
with the meat. To be served with fried meat and gravy; boil 
it in water with a teaspoonful of salt, press the water from it 
and serve. 

Green Peas. — Shell green peas until you have a quart; 
half a peck in the shells will generally produce a quart of 
shelled peas. Put boiling water to cover them, add a teaspoon- 



180 HOUSEHOLD. 

ful of salt, cover the stewpan, and boil fast for half an hour: 
then take one between your fingers, if it will mash easily they 
are done; drain off the water, take them into a deep dish, put 
to them a teacupful or less of sweet butter, and a little pepper; 
a small teaspoonful of white sugar is a great improvement; serve 
hot. Small young potatoes, nicely scraped, may be boiled and 
served with them, or in a separate dish with a little butter over. 

Lamb and peas are a favorite dish in the spring of the year; 
they are nice with poultry, veal and mutton. A bit of saleratus 
or carbonate of soda, the size of a pea, put with green vegeta- 
bles, improves the color and renders them more healthful: fast 
boiling keeps the color good. 

Asparagus. — Choose green stalks of asparagus, the largest 
are best; cut off the white, tough part, wash the green in cold 
water, and tie it in small bundles that they may be taken up 
without danger of breaking, put them in hot water with a tea- 
spoonful of salt, and let them boil for half an hour; toast some 
thin slices of bread a delicate brown, cut off the extreme out- 
side crust, butter each slice frequently; and then lay them on 
small oval dishes; untie the asparagus and lay it on the toast, 
butter it a little, sprinkle pepper over and serve. Or it may be 
served without the toast; the toast may be moistened by put- 
ing a little of the water in which the asparagus, was boiled, 
over it. 

Vinegar is eaten with asparagus; it is generally added at 
table by such as like it. Asparagus may be laid on plain toast, 
and a little drawn butter poured over both. 

Green Beans. — Cut the bud and stem end off, and take 
the strings from the sides of stringed beans, cut them in inch 
lengths, wash them in cold water, then put them into a stew- 
pan of hot water, add a teaspoonful of salt, cover the stewpan 
and let them boil fast for half or three-quarters of an hour; 
take one up, if it will mash easily when pressed between the 
thumb and finger, they are done. Drain off the water, add 
sweet butter and pepper to taste, cut some nicely toasted bread 
in squares or diamonds, lay them on a dish, and serve the beans 
over. Green beans, when good, will be a bright color, and 
crisp, when broken. They should be fresh picked. 

Beans and Corn, Called Succotash.— Take the husks 



HOUSEHOLD. 131 

and silk from a dozen ears of sweet corn, and with a sharp Kriif e 
cut the kernels from the cob, scrape gently what remains on the 
cob with the knife blade, string a quart or more of green beans 
and cut them in inch lengths or shorter; wash them and put 
them to the corn; put them with the corn into a stewpan, add 
half a pint of boiling milk or water, cover it close and let them 
boil rather gently for three-quarters of an hour, then add a tea- 
cupful of butter, a teaspoonful of salt, and a saltspoonful of 
pepper; stir them well together, cover it for ten minutes, take 
the beans and corn into a dish, with more or less of the liquids 
as may be liked. 

This may be made without butter by substituting han a 
pound of nicely corned fat pork, washed in cold water, and cut 
in slices as thin as a knife blade. No other salt is required. 
Lima beans and sweet corn make the finest succotash. 

Lima Beans. — Lay a quart of shelled Lima beans in cold 
water for one hour, then put them into a stewpan and pour 
water over to cover them, cover the stewpan and let it boil 
fast for half an hour; then take one between your finger and 
thumb; if it will mash easily, it is done; drain off nearly all the 
water, add a small teacupful of butter, a teaspoonful of salt, 
and a little pepper; cover them for a few minutes over the fire, 
then serve hot. 

Old or Winter Carrots — Must be scraped and washed 
clean, then boil them tender, slice them, and serve with butter, 
pepper and salt over. Carrots may be sliced before boiling, 
and served in the same manner. Carrots are mostly used for 
soups. 

Green Corn. — Cut the center of kernels through length- 
wise with a sharp knife; scrape the inside out with the back of 
the knife; put over and boil with a very little water. After 
cooking ten minutes, add milk, salt, a very little sugar, and 
plenty of butter, and let boil gently for five or ten minutes 
more. 

Corn Oysters. — One dozen grated ears of sweet corn, 
three tablespoonfuls of cream, two do. of flour, one do. of 
melted butter, one egg well beaten; mix and bake in small 
cakes on a griddle. These are very nice for tea when made 
f rem cold boiled ears of corn left over from dinner. 



182 HOUSEHOLD. 

Egg Plant. — Slice the egg plant about half an inch thick, 
parboil in salt and water for about a quarter of an hour; then 
take out and fry in part butter and part lard. These are nice 
also when each plant is dipped in beaten egg and bread crumbs, 
and then fried. 

Boiled Cauliflower. — To each half a gallon of water 
allow one heaped teaspoonful of salt. Choose cauliflowers 
that are close and white. Trim off the decayed outside leaves, 
cut the stalks off flat at the bottom. Open the flowers a little 
to remove the insects, and let lie in salt and water, with the 
head down, for an hour before cooking; then put them into 
fast boiling water, with the addition of salt as above. Skim 
well and boil till tender. Serve with melted butter or delicate 
drawn butter poured over. 

Cabbage Jelly. — Boil a cabbage in the usual way, and 
squeeze in a colander till perfectly dry, then chop fine; add a 
little butter, pepper and salt; press the whole very closely into 
an earthenware mold, and bake one hour, either in an oven or 
in front of tho fire. 

Cold Slaw. — Sprinkle a quart of finely chopped cabbage 
with salt, and let it stand an hour; drain off the brine into a 
saucepan; pour half a pint of strong vinegar, a piece of butter 
(size of a hickory nut), a teaspoonful of strong mustard (after 
it has been stirred with water), and half the same of pepper; 
when it boils stir in two well-beaten eggs, and three table- 
spoonfuls of sweet cream; pour hot on the cabbage, and have 
it cold when it is to be served. A very delicious relish with 
meats. 

Onions. — If milk is plenty, use equal quantities of skim- 
milk and water, allowing a quart of each for a dozen or so 
large onions. If water alone is used, change it after the first 
half -hour, as this prevents their turning dark; salting as for all 
vegetables, and boiling young onions one hour; old ones, two. 
Either chop fine, and add a spoonful of butter, half a teaspoon- 
ful of salt, and a little pepper, or serve them whole in a dressing 
made by heating one cupful of milk with the same butter and 
other seasoning as when chopped. Put the onions in a hot 
dish, pour this over them, and serve. They may also be half- 



HOUSEHOLD. 183 

boiled; then put in a buttered dish, covered with this sauce 
and a layer or bread crumbs, and baked for an hour. 

String Beans. — String, cut in bits, and boil an hour if 
very young. If old, an hour and a half, or even two, may be 
needed. Drain off the water, and season like green peas. 

Shelled Beans. — Any green bean may be used in this way, 
Lima and butter [beans being the nicest. Put on in boiling, 
salted water, and boil not less than one hour. Season like 
string beans. 

Green Corn. — Husk, and pick off the silk. Boil in well- 
salted water, and serve on the cob, wrapped in a napkin, or 
cut off and seasoned like beans. Cutting down through each 
row gives, when scraped off, the kernel without the hull. 

Green Corn Fritters. — One pint of green corn grated. 
This will require about six ears. Mix with this half a cupful 
of milk, two well-beaten eggs, half a cupful of flour, one tea- 
spoonful of salt, half a teaspoonful of pepper, and a table- 
spoonful of melted butter. Fry in very small cakes in a little 
hot butter, browning well on both sides. Serve very hot. 

Corn Pudding. — One pint of cut or grated corn, one pint 
of milk, two well-beaten eggs, one teaspoonful of salt and a 
saltspoonful of pepper. Butter a pudding dish, and bake the 
mixture half an hour. Canned corn can be used in the same 
way. 

Spinach. — Not less than a peck is needed for a dinner for 
three or four. Pick over carefully, wash, and let it lie in cold 
water an hour or two. Put on in boiling, salted water, and 
boil an hour, until tender. Take up in a colander, that it may 
drain perfectly. Have in a hot dish a piece of butter the size 
of an egg, half a teaspoonful of vinegar. Chop the spinach 
fine, and put in the dish, stirring in this dressing thoroughly. 
A teacupful of cream is often added. Any tender greens, beet 
or turnip tops, kale, etc., are treated in this way; kale, however, 
requiring two hours boiling. 

Artichokes. — Cut off the outside leaves; trim the bottom; 
throw into boiling, salted water, with a teaspoonful of vinegar 
in it, and boil an hour. Season, and serve like turnips, or wi* 
drawn butter poured over them. 



184? HOUSEHOLD. 

Tomatoes Stewed. — Pour on boiling water, to take off the 
skins; cut in pieces, and stew slowly for half and hour; adding 
for a dozen tomatoes a tablespoonful of butter, a teaspoonful 
of salt, a saltspoonful of pepper, and a teaspoonful of sugar. 
Where they are preferred sweet, two tablespoonfuls of sugaf 
will be necessary. They may be thickened with a tablespoon* 
ful of flour or corn-starch dissolved in a little cold water, or 
with half a cupful of rolled cracker or bread crumbs. Canned 
tomatoes are stewed in the same way. 

Bread-Making and Flour. — Much of the health, and conse- 
quently much of the happiness, of the family depends upon 
good bread; therefore, no pains should be spared in learn- 
ing the best method of making, which will prove easiest in the 
end. 

Yeast, flour, kneading, and baking must each be perfect, 
and nothing in the whole range of cooking is of such prime 
importance. 

Once master the problem of yeast, and the first form of 
wheat bread, and endless varieties of both bread and breakfast 
cakes can be made. 

The old and the new process flour — the former being 
known as the St. Louis, and the latter as Haxall flour — are now 
to be had at all good grocers; and from either good bread may 
be made, though that from the latter keeps moist longer. 
Potapsco flour is of the same quality as the St. Louis. It con- 
tains more starch than the St. Louis, and for this reason 
requires, even more than that, the use in the family of coarser, 
or graham flour, at the same time; white bread alone not being 
as nutritious or strengthening. 

Flour made by the new process swells more than that by 
the old, and a little less quantity — about an eighth less — is 
therefore required in mixing and kneading. As definite rules 
as possible are given for the whole operation; but experience 
alone can insure perfect bread, changes of temperature affect- 
ing it once, and baking being also a critical point. 

Pans made of thick tin, or, better still, of Russia iron, ten 
inches long, four or five wide, and four deep, make the best 
shaped loaf, and one requiring a reasonably short time to bake. 

Yeast.— Ingredients: One teacupful of lightly broken 



HOUSEHOLD. 185 

hops; one pint of sifted flour; one cupful of sugar; one table- 
spoonful of salt; four large or medium-sized potatoes; and two . 
quarts of boiling water. 

Boil the potatoes and mash them fine. At the same time, 
having tied the hops in a little bag, boil them for half an hour 
in two quarts of water, but in another saucepan. Mix the 
flour, sugar, and salt well together in a large mixing-bowl, and 
pour on the boiling hop-water, stirring constantly. Now add 
enough of this to the mashed potato to thin it till it can be 
poured, and mix all together, straining it through a sieve to 
avoid any possible lumps. Add to this, when cool, either a 
cupful of yeast left from the last, or of baker's yeast, or a Twin 
Brothers' yeast cake, dissolved in a little warm water. Let it 
stand till partly light, and then stir down two or three times in 
the course of five or six hours, as this makes it stronger. At 
the end of that time it will be light. Keep in a covered stone 
jar, or in glass cans. By stirring in corn meal till a dough is 
made, and then forming it in small cakes and drying in the sun, 
dry yeast is made, which keeps better than the liquid in hot 
weather. Crumb, and soak in warm water half an hour before 
using. 

Potato yeast is made by omitting hops and flour, but mash- 
ing the potatoes fine with the same proportion of other ingre- 
dients, and adding the old yeast, when cool, as before. It is 
very nice, but must be made fresh every week; while the other, 
kept in a cool place, will be good a month. 

Bread. — For four loaves of bread of the pan-size given 
above, allow as follows: Four quarts of flour; one large cupful 
of yeast; one tablespoonful of salt, one of sugar, and one of 
butter or lard; one pint of milk mixed with one of warm water, 
or one quart of water alone for the "wetting." 

Sift the flour into a large pan or bowl. Put the sugar, salt, 
and butter in the bottom of the bread pan or bowl, and pour 
on a spoonful or two of boiling water, enough to dissolve all. 
Add the quart of wetting and the yeast. Now stir in slowly two 
quarts of the flour; cover with a cloth, and set in a tempera- 
ture of about 75 degrees to rise until morning. Bread mixed 
at nine in the evening will be ready to mold into loaves or 
rolls by six the next morning. In summer it would be neces- 



186 HOUSEHOLD. 

sary to find a cool place; in winter a warm one — the chief 
point being to keep the temperature even. If mixed early in 
the morning, it is ready to mold and bake in the afternoon, 
from seven to eight hours being all that it should stand. 

The first mixture is called a sponge; and, if only a loaf of 
graham or rye bread is wanted, one quart of it can be meas- 
ured and thickened with other flour, as in the rules given here- 
after. 

To finish as wheat bread, stir in enough flour from the two 
quarts remaining to make a dough. Flour the moulding-board 
very thickly, and turn out. Now begin kneading, flouring the 
hands, but after the dough is gathered into a smooth lump, 
using as little flour as may be. Knead with the palm of the 
hand as much as possible. The dough quickly becomes a flat 
cake. Fold it over, and keep on kneading not less than twenty 
minutes; half an hour being better. 

Make into loaves; put into the pans; set them in a warm 
place, and let them rise from thirty to forty-five minutes, or 
till they have become nearly double in size. Bake in an oven 
hot enough to brown a teaspoonful of flour in one minute; 
spreading the flour on a bit of broken plate, that it may have 
an even heat. Loaves of this size will bake in from forty-five 
to sixty minutes. Then take them from the pans; wrap in 
thick cloths kept for the purpose, and stand them tilted up 
against the pans till cold. Never lay hot bread on a pine table, 
as it will sweat, and absorb the pitchy odor and taste; but tilt 
so that air may pass around it freely. Keep well covered in a 
tin box, or large stone pot, which should be wiped out every day 
or two, and scalded and dried thoroughly now and then. Pans 
for wheat bread should be greased very lightly; for graham or 
rye, much more, as the dough sticks and clings. 

Instead of mixing a sponge, all the flour maybe molded 
in and kneaded at once, and the dough set to rise in the same 
way. When light, turn out. Use as little flour as possible, 
and knead for fifteen minutes; less time being required, as 
part of the kneading has already been done. 

Graham Bread. — One quart of wheat sponge; one even 
quart of graham flour; half a teacupful of brown sugar or mo- 
lases; half a teaspoonful of soda dissolved in a little hot water; 
and half a teaspoonful of salt. 



HOUSEHOLD. 187 

Pour the sponge in a deep bowl; stir in the molasses, etc.; 
jLnd lastly the flour, which must never be sifted. The mixture 
should be so stiff that the spoon moves with difficulty. Bake 
in two loaves for an hour or an hour and a quarter, graham 
requiring longer baking than wheat. 

If no sponge can be spared, make as follows: One pint of 
milk or water; half a cupful of sugar or molasses; half a cupful" 
of yeast; one teaspoonful of salt; one cupful of wheat flour; two 
cupfuls of graham. Warm the milk or water; add the yeast and 
other ingredients, and then the flour; and set in a cool place — 
about 60 degrees Fahrenheit — over night, graham bread sour- 
ing more easily than wheat. Early in the morning stir well; 
put into two deep, well-greased pans; let it rise an hour in a 
warm place and bake one hour. 

Old School Presbyterian Yeast. — Boil two good hand- 
fufs of good hops in three quarts of water. Strain. When cool 
stir in one quart of flour, one cupful of sugar, and a handful of 
salt. Cover this in a stone jar, and let it stand three days in 
a warm place, stirring it occasionally. On the fourth day add 
one quart of nicely mashed potatoes. Let it stand until the 
day following, when it will be ready for use. A small teacup- 
ful is sufficient for five loaves of bread. 

This yeast, which has proved most reliable, needs nothing 
to start it, as it is self-raising, and, if kept in a cool place, will 
keep six weeks in the summer, and three months in cold 
weather. 

It does not foam as do other kinds of yeast, so that one 
who had not used it would think it worthless, but if once used 
its excellency will not be doubted. 

In making bread, a tablespoonful of white sugar to a quart 
of flour is a great improvement to all kinds of bread. 

Hop Yeast. — Of pressed hops, break up fine about enough 
to make a teacupful; boil them in one quart of water for half 
an hour. At the same time boil in another kettle ten or twelve 
potatoes (peeled) in a quart of water; when thoroughly done 
mash the potatoes and pour the water back over them. If the 
water is boiled away, restore the quantity. Have ready two 
quart of sifted flour; strain the hop water on to it, and add the 
potato gruel; when lukewarm put in a teacupful of good yeast, 



138 HOUSEHOLD. 

or a yeast cake, and a little salt. After it is thoroughly light 
it should be kept in a stone jug or jar in a cool place. 

Brown Bread. — One quart of corn meal, one pint of rye 
or graham flour, one quart of sour milk, one teacupful of mo- 
lasses, and one teaspoonful of soda. Steam four hours, or bake 
one hour. This quantity will make two loaves. 

Corn Bread. — One quart of Indian meal, two ounces of 
butter, as much warm milk as will make a stiff batter, four 
eggs, a little salt. Beat the whole well together, and bake in 
shallow tins in a moderate oven. 

To Make Twist Bread. — Let the bread be made as di- 
rected for baker's or for wheat bread, then take three pieces as 
large as a pint bowl each; strew a little flour over the paste- 
board or table, roll each piece under your hands, to twelve 
inches length, making it smaller in circumference at the ends 
than in the middle; having rolled the three in this way, take a 
baking tin, lay one part on it, join one end of each of the other 
two to it, and braid them together the length of the rolls, and 
join the ends by pressing them together; dip a brush in milk, 
and pass over the top of loaf; after ten minutes or so, set it in 
a quick oven, and bake for nearly an hour. 

Wheat and Indian Bread. — Put three pints of water over 
the fire; when it is boiling hot, add a large tablespbonful of 
salt, stir into it sweet white corn meal, until it is a thick batter; 
continue to stir it for ten minutes, that it may not burn, then 
turn it into a dish, stir into it a quart of cold water; when it is 
cool enough to bear your hand in it, pour it into a bowl, in 
which is seven pounds of wheat flour, heaped around the sides 
so. as to leave a hollow in the centre; add to it a gill of baker's 
yeast, and half a teaspoonful of saleratus, dissolved in a little 
hot water, then work the whole into a smooth dough, work it, or 
knead, for nearly an hour, then strew a little flour over it, lay 
a thickly folded cloth over, and set it in a warm place for five 
or six hours in summer, or mix at night in winter; when light, 
work it down, set it to rise again for one hour, then heat the 
oven, work the bread down, and divide it in loaves, and bake, 
according to their size, in a quick oven; when taken from the 
oven, turn them over in the pans, and set them to become cold; 



HOUSEHOLD. 189 

if the crust is hard, wrap them in a towel as soon as taken 
from the oven. 

Rye Bread. — Make the same as wheat and Indian bread, 
substituting rye flour for wheat. Or, [thus: To a quart of 
warm water stir as much wheat flour as will make a smooth 
batter, stir into it half a gill of baker's yeast, and set it in a 
warm place to rise; this is called setting a sponge; let it be 
mixed in some vessel which will contain twice the quantity; in 
the morning put three pounds and a half of rye flour into a 
bowl or tray; make a hollow in the centre, pour in the sponge, 
add a dessert spoonful of salt, and half a small teaspoonful of 
saleratus, dissolved in a little water; make the whole into a 
smooth dough with as much warm water as may be necessary; 
knead it well, cover it, and let it set in a warm place for three 
hours, then knead it again, and make it in two or three loaves; 
bake in a quick oven one hour, if made in two loaves, and less 
if the loaves are smaller. 

Bread-Cake or Biscuit. — Take from risen bread dough, 
the size of a small loaf, work into it one egg and a large table- 
spoonful of lard when it is thoroughly amalgamated, flour the 
hands and make it in balls the size and shape of a hen's egg; 
rub a tin pan over with a bit of sponge dipped in butter, lay 
them in so as to touch each other until the pan is full, wet the 
tops over with milk, then set them into a quick oven for twenty 
minutes; serve hot; for breakfast or tea. When eaten, break 
them open — to cut them would make them heavy. 

These cakes are very nice, when cold, for breakfast or tea. 

Indian Griddle Cakes. — -'Beat two eggs light, stir them 
into a quart of sweet milk with a teaspoonful of salt and 
enough corn meal to make a good batter; bake as soon as mixed, 
on a hot griddle rubbed over with a bit of suet or fat pork; a 
tablespoonful of butter for each cake. 

Johnny Cake. — Put a quart of fresh corn meal into a basin, 
add a heaping teaspoonful of salt, stir into it boiling water 
until it is all moistened, then with your hands make it in cakes 
half an inch thick, and bake them on a hot griddle rubbed 
over with a bit of pork fat or beef suet; let them do slowly; 
when one side is done turn the other; they may be baked in an 



190 , r ,._ HOUSEHOLD. 

oven for twenty minutes; or, put the cake on a flat board or 
iron plate, and slant it in front of the fire; when one side is 
done, turn the other; serve hot, split them open and buttei 
freely; they are eaten with fried pork. 

Indian Meal Muffins. — Pour boiling water into a quart 
of yellow corn meal, stirring it all the time until it is a thick 
batter; let it cool; when only warm, add a small teacupful of 
butter, a teaspoonful of salt, and a tablespoonful of yeast, with 
two well-beaten eggs; set it in a warm place for two hours, then 
stir it smooth, and bake in small cakes on a hot griddle; when 
one side is a rich brown, turn the other, lay them singly on a 
hot dish, and serve. These may be made without the yeast, 
and baked as soon as mixed. 

Buckwheat Griddle Cakes. — Put three pints of warm 
water into a stone pot or jar, add a gill of baker's yeast, or an 
inch square of turnpike cake dissolved in a little warm water; 
add a heaping teaspoonful of salt, and half a small teaspoonful 
of saleratus, have a pudding stick, or spatula, and gradually 
stir in enough buckwheat flour to make a nice batter, beat it 
perfectly smooth, then cover it and set it in a moderately warm 
place until morning; a large handful of corn meal may be put 
with the flour, and it is by many persons considered an 
improvement. 

To Bake Buckwheat Cakes. — Set a griddle over a gentle, 
steady fire; when it is hot, rub it over with a bit of suet or fat 
fresh pork on a fork; the griddle must be hot but not scorch- 
ing; put the batter on in small cakes; when one side is nicely 
browned and about half cooked through, turn them. 

These cakes, to be in perfection, must be not much thicker 
than a dollar piece, and both sides a delicate brown. Should 
the batter prove too thick, it may be made thinner with sweet 
milk; this will also make them bake a finer color. The best 
of sweet butter and syrup to be served with buckwheat cakes 
hot from the griddle. Should the cakes be preferred thicker 
than mentioned in this recipe, it is an easy matter to make 
them so; take care that they are baked through. 

Buckwheat may be mixed the same as wheat muffins, and 
baked on a griddle. 



HOUSEHOLD. 191 

Muffins. — Mix with a pint of warm milk two well beaten 
eggs, half a teaspoonful of melted butter, and half a gill of 
baker's yeast, with a teaspoonful of salt and a bit of saleratus 
the size of a large pea (dissolved in hot water); stir in enough 
sifted wheat flour to make a thick batter, set it in a warm place 
to rise, for three hours in warm weather, or longer in winter; it 
may be mixed at night for breakfast next morning; put a grid- 
dle over the fire; when it is hot, rub it over with some fat, 
grease the inside of the rings, set them on and half fill them 
with the batter, or they may be done without rings; when one 
side is done, turn the other; bake a light color; as they are 
done break each one open, put a bit of butter in each, and set 
them in front of the fire until served; muffins should never be 
cut open. Cold muffins may be toasted and served hot. 

Tea Rusk. — To a pint of warm milk put half a gill of 
baker's yeast, a teaspoonful of salt, and half a small teaspoon- 
ful of saleratus, dissolved in a little hot water; put to it enough 
wheat flour to make a soft dough; mix well and smooth; cover 
it, and set it in ~a. warm place for two hours, to rise; when light, 
add half a teacupful of sugar, and a cupful of melted butter; 
work them well into the dough, flour your hanas well, ana 
make it in small cakes (the size of a large egg, or a trifle 
larger), lay them close together in a buttered pan; dip your 
hand in a little sweetened milk, and pass it lightly over the 
tops of the rusks, set them in a quick oven for half an hour; 
serve hot. 

Common Buns. — Rub four ounces of butter into two pounds 
of flour, with four ounces of fine sugar and a teaspoonful of 
carraway seeds, and the same of salt; add half a gill of yeast, 
and as much warm milk as will make a soft dough; set it in a 
warm place to rise (it will be light after about three hours); 
strew a paste-slab and rolling pin with flour, and roll out the 
dough to half an inch thickness, and cut them in large, round 
cakes; lay them on baking tins, wet the tops over with milk, 
strew sugar over each, and put them on tins in a quick oven 
for fifteen minutes. 

Milk Biscuits. — Warm two ounces of sweet butter in a 
gill of sweet milk, and with it wet a pound of flour into a very 



Vbt, HOUSEHOLD. 

stiff paste; beat it with a rolling-pin, and work it very smooth; 
roll it a quarter of an inch thick; cut it in small, round cakes; 
stick each with a fork, and bake ten minutes in a quick oven. 

To Fry Doughnuts a.nd Crullers. — Have a small iron 
or porcelain kettle; put into it a pound of lard, set it over a 
gentle fire; when it is boiling hot, drop a bit of dough in to try- 
it; if the fat is not hot enough, the cakes will absorb it, and 
thereby be rendered unfit for eating; if too hot, it will make 
them a dark brown outside before the inside is cooked; boil- 
ing hot is about the heat the fat should be; if it is at a right 
heat, the doughnuts will in about ten minutes be of a delicate 
brown outside, and nicely cooked inside; five or six minutes 
will cook a cruller; try the fat, by dropping a bit of the dough 
in; if it is right, the fat will boil up when it is put in; keep the 
kettle in motion all the time the cakes are in, that they may 
boil evenly; when the cakes are a fine color take them out with 
a skimmer on to an inverted sieve. 

Doughnuts. — Take a pound of flour, a quarter of a x>ou»4 
of butter, three-quarters of a pound of clean crown sugar 
rolled fine, one nutmeg, grated, and a tablespoonful of ground 
cinnamon; mix these well together; then add a tablespoonful 
of baker's yeast, with as much warm milk, with saleratus the 
size of a pea dissolved in it, as will make a smooth dough; 
knead it for a few minutes, cover it, and set it in a warm place 
to rise for three hours or more, until it is light; then roll it out 
to a quarter of an inch in thickness; cut it in small squares or 
diamonds, and fry as directed. 

Indian Muffins. — One quart of milk, eight eggs, one and a 
half cupf uls of butter, one cupful of flour, two cupfuls of Indian 
meal, one teaspoonful of soda, two teaspoonfuls of cream of 
tartar, and a little salt; two teaspoonfuls of sugar. Beat well 
together and bake in muffin rings. 

(This recipe is from a reliable source, but we can only 
recommend it to those who have eggs and butter in abun- 
dant) 

Rice Muffins. — Two cups of milk, four tablespoonfuls of 
/east, one tablespoonful of white sugar, two tablespoonfuls of 
melted butter, nearly a cupful of well boiled rice, four cup- 



HOUSEHOLD. 193 

fuls of flour, or enough to make a good batter; salt to the taste; 
one-quarter teaspoonful of soda, dissolved in hot water, added 
just before baking. Beat the ingredients well together, set to 
rise for six hours, or until very light; put into muffin rings, let 
it stand fifteen minutes, and bake quickly; eat hot. 

Flannel Cakes. — One cupful of sweet milk, one-half cup- 
ful of yeast, whites of two eggs, two-thirds of a cupful of but- 
ter, flour, enough to make a thick batter; set to rise over night 
and in the morning add whites and butter. . Bake in cups. 

Pancakes. — Add enough flour to one quart of sour milk 
to make a rather thick batter. Let it stand over night and in 
the morning add two well beaten eggs, salt, and half a teaspoon- 
ful of soda dissolved in one tablespoonful of warm water. 
Bake immediately. 

Rice Pancakes. — One and a half pints of boiled rice, the 
same of flour, one-half teacupful of sour milk, one teacupful of 
sweet milk, one teaspoonful of soda, salt, three eggs, and butter 
the size of a walnut. 

Salads. — Chicken Salad. — Mix the celery and chicken 
together, and then stir well into them a mixture in the propor- 
tion of three tablespoonfuls of vinegar to one of oil and one 
(level) of salt, a pinch — the smallest pinch — of cayenne, about 
what would lie on the point of a penknife, and a teaspoonful 
of mustard. Let the chicken stand in this mixture an hour or 
two; drain off what may be in the bottom of the bowl; ten or 
twenty minutes before serving pour over a mild mayonnaise. 
Little strips of anchovy rolled up are used with pickles, hard 
boiled eggs, and lettuce heads, or tender yellow celery tops to 
garnish. 

As minute directions as possible are given for the various 
methods and tastes in mixing the dressing. 

An eight-pound turkey, rubbed with a fresh lemon, and 
boiled in well salted water (having two tablespoonfuls of raw 
rice in it), is used and preferred by many to a pair of chick- 
ens. The flavor is radically different, but quite delightful. 
Every one of the recipes given will make a nice salad, unless 
our scholars fall into the error of a well-meaning lady, who set 
her dish of salad into the hot oven for half an hour. The 

13 



194 HOUSEHOLD. 

colder your salad is the crisper and fresher it will taste, and the 
thicker and better will be your dressing. 

Chicken Salad. — One chicken, three bunches of celery, 
four eggs (whites and yolks beaten seperately), one or two 
tablespoonfuls of mixed mustard, two teaspoonfuls of salt, one 
level teaspoonful of pepper, one tablespoonful of butter (hard), 
six or eight tablespoonfuls of vinegar. Set the dish with these 
ingredients into a pan of boiling water on the stove, and stir 
until it thickens like custard; then set off to cool. Cut the 
chicken that has been carefully boiled into little pieces, and 
the celery also, and pour over them the dressing, adding, if you 
please, a little olive oil and sweet cream. 

Dressing for Salad. — Four eggs beat ught, yolks and 
whites together; two tablespoonfuls of mixed mustard, one 
teaspoonful of salt, one teaspoonful of black pepper, or one- 
third of a teaspoonful of red pepper, one tablespoonful of but- 
ter, and nearly one teacupful of sharp vinegar. Float the pan 
containing the ingredients in a pan of boiling water on the 
stove and stir until thick like custard. When cold pour over 
the salad, adding cold vinegar if needed. 

Pies. — Pastry. — One pound and a quarter of flour, one 
pound of shortening and a little salt, all put together, sufficient 
cold water to mix with; no more flour. Put upon the mold- 
ing-board, roll out and cut in strips, put one upon another, then 
cut off in squares, roll out, and put upon plates. 

Plain Pie-Crust. — One pound of flour, half a pound of 
butter; mix thoroughly with a knife or a spoon. Pour in very 
cold water, just enough to form a dough for rolling out; flour 
the board and rolling-pin, using a knife to handle the dough 
(the warmth of the hand makes it heavy); roll out the size of 
one plate at a time, so as to work it as little as possible. Bake 
in a quick oven. 

Tart Crust. — The white 01 one egg beaten to a stiff 
froth, one tablespoonful of white sugar, one cupful of lard, a 
little salt, five tablespoonfuls of water, three cupfuls of sifted 
flour; roll quite thin for tarts; cut out with a cooky cutter — a 
scalloped one will look best; take an open-top thimble, make 
five holes in one, lay on a whole one, which makes one tart; pro- 




HOUSEHOLD. 195 

ceed with all the dough in the same way; bake lightly; when 
done split open the tart and lay a slice of nice jelly between the 
layers; squeeze up the jelly through the holes; place them on 
the table on a plate, and you have a splendid looking dish for 
the tea table, and something that will keep two months. Do 
not put your jelly in till you wish them for the table. 

Rich Mince Pie. — Three pounds of beef, one beef's 
tongue, four (or six) pounds of suet, three and- a half pounds 
of raisins, f'tree pounds cf currants, three-quarters of a pound 
of citron, eight pounds of chopped apples, four and a half 
pounds of sugar, three pints of molasses, three ounces of cin- 
namon, two ounces of cloves, a nutmeg, one teacupful of the 
Mace Compound, one and a fourth ounces of salt, half an 
ounce of pepper, one gallon and a half of sweet cider. When 
mixed, put into a kettle and scald, stirring it all the time. Put 
it hot into Hero or Mason jars— and the longer you keep it the 
nicer it will be. 

Grandmother's Apple Pie. — Line a deep pie-plate with 
plain paste. Pare sour apples — greenings are best; quarter, 
and cut in thin slices. Allow one cup of sugar, and quarter 
of a grated- nutmeg mixed with it; fill the pie-plate heaping 
full of the sliced apple, sprinkling the sugar between the lay- 
ers. It will require not less than six good sized apples. Wet 
the edges of the pie with cold water; lay on the cover, and 
press down securely, that no juice may escape. Bake three- 
quarters ef an hour or a little less, if the apples are very ten- 
der. No pie in which the apples are stewed beforehand can 
compare with this in flavor. If they are used, stew till tender, 
and strain; sweeten and flavor to taste; fill the pies, and 
bake half an hour. 

Dried-Apple Pies. — Wash one pint of dried apples, and 
put in a porcelain kettle with two quarts of warm water; let 
them stand all night. In the morning put on the fire, and stew 
slowly for an hour; then add one pint of sugar, a teaspoonful 
of dried lemon or orange rind, or half z fresh lemon sliced, 
and half a teaspoonful of cinnamon. Stew half an hour 
longer, and then use for filling the pies. The apple can be 
strained if preferred, and a teaspoonful of butter added. Thi* 



196 HOUSEHOLD. 

quantity will make two pies. Dried peaches are treated in the 
same way. 

Lemon Pies. — Three lemons, juice of all and the grated 
rind of two; two cupfuls of sugar, three cupfuls of boiling 
water, three tablespoonfuls of corn starch dissolved in a little 
cold water, three eggs, a piece of butter the size of an egg. 

Pour the boiling water on the dissolved corn starch, and 
boil for five minutes. Add the sugar and butter, the yolks of 
the eggs beaten to a froth, and last the lemon juice and rind. 
Line the plates with crust, putting a narrow rim of it around 
each one; pour in the filling, and bake half an hour. Beat 
the whites to a stiff broth; add half a teacupful of powdered 
sugar and ten drops of lemon extract, and, when the pie is 
baked, spread this on. The heat will cook it sufficiently, but 
it can be browned a moment in the oven. If to be kept a day, 
do not make the frosting till just before using. The whites 
will keep in a cold place. Orange pie can be made in the same 
way. 

Sweet-Potato Pie or Pudding. — One pound of hot, 
boiled sweet pototo rubbed through a sieve; one cupful of but- 
ter, one heaping cupful of sugar, half a grated nutmeg, one 
glass of brandy, a pinch of salt, and six eggs. 

Add the sugar, spice, and butter to the hot potato. Beat 
whites and yolks seperately, and add, and last the brandy. 
Line deep plates with nice paste, making a rim of puff paste. 
Fill with the mixture, and bake till the crust is done, about 
half an hour. Wickedly rich, but very delicious Irish pota- 
toes can be treated in the same way, and are more delicate. 

Squash or Pumpkin Pie. — Prepare and steam. Strain 
through a sieve. To a quart of the strained squash add 
one quart of new milk, with a spoonful or two of cream, 
if possible; one heaping cupful of sugar, into which has 
been stirred a teaspoonful of salt, a heaping one of ginger, 
and half a one of cinnamon. Mix this with the squash, 
and add from two to four well beaten eggs. Bake in deep 
plates lined with plain pie-crust. They are done when a knife- 
blade, on being run into the middle, comes out clean. About 
forty minutes will be enough. For pumpkin pie half a cupful 
of molasses may be added, and the eggs can be omitted, sub- 



HOUSEHOLD. 197 

stituting half a cupful of flour mixed with the sugar and spice 
before stirring in. A teaspoonful of butter can always be 
added. 

Cherry and Berry Pies. — Have a very deep plate, and 
either no crust undei~, save a rim, or a very thin one. Allow a 
cupful of sugar to a quart of fruit, but no spices. Stone cher- 
ries. Prick the upper crust half a dozen times with a fork, to 
let out the steam. 

For rhubarb or pie-plant pies, peel the stalks; cut them in 
little bits, and fill the pie. Bake with an upper crust. 

Custard Pie. — Line and rim deep plates with pastry, a 
thin custard pie being very poor. Beat together a teacupful 
of sugar, four eggs, and a pinch of salt, and mix slowly with 
one quart of milk. Fill the plate up to the pastry rim after it 
is in the oven, and bake till the custard is firm, trying, as for 
squash pies, with a knife blade. 

Cocoanut Pie. — One teacupful of sugar, one-half cupful 
of butter, three eggs, one grated cocoanut, one pint of scalded 
milk poured on the cocoanut, underlined with pastry. 

Orange Pie. — Rub the yellow of t»wo oranges with lumps 
of sugar, add juice of three, and one cupful of white sugar, one 
finely rolled cracker, a small piece of butter, four eggs, one 
cupful of sweet milk. Line pudding dish with paste, and bake 
until firm; nice either hot or cold. With or without a mer- 
ingue. 

Pie-Plant Pie. — Peel a bunch of pie-plant, put it into 
your chopping-bowl and chop into pieces the size of your little 
finger nail; grate the rind, and squeeze the juice of a lemon 
over this; add sugar. 

Strawberry Pie. — Make a nice puff paste, with which line 
a baking plate; half bake in a quick oven. Have ready 
sugared strawberries to fill the plate, and the white of an egg 
beaten and sweetened as a meringue with which to cover the 
berries. Return to the oven long enough to brown slightly. 

Pumpkin Pie. — One pint of well stewed and strained 
pumpkin, one good quart of scalding hot, rich milk, and one and 
one-half cupfuls of sugar, four eggs, one-half teaspoonful of salt, 



198 HOUSEHOLD. 

one taWespoanful of ginger, and one of ground cinnamon. 
Bake in pie-plates lined with good paste; do not let the mix- 
ture stand after it is put together, but bake at once. 

Puddings.— For boiled puddings a regular pudding-boiler, 
holding from three pints to two quarts, is best, a tin pail with a 
very tight-fitting cover answering instead, though not as good. 
For large dumplings a thick pudding-cloth — the best being of 
Canton flannel, used with the nap-side out — should be dipped 
in hot water, and wrung out, dredged evenly and thickly with 
flour, and laid over a large bowl. From half to three-quarters 
of a yard squareJs a good size. In filling this, pile the fruit 
or berries on the rolled-out crust which has been laid in the 
middle of the cloth, and gather the edges of the paste evenly 
over it. Then gather the cloth up, leaving room for the dump- 
ling to swell, and tying very tightly. In turning out, lift to a 
dish; press all the water from the ends of the cloth: untie and 
turn away from the pudding, and lay a hot dish upon it, turn- 
ing over the pudding into it, and serving at once, as it darkens 
or falls by standing. 

In using a boiler, butter well, and fill only two-thirds full 
that the mixture may have room to swell. Set it in boiling 
water, and see that it is kept at the same height, about an inch 
from the top. Cover the outer kettle, that the steam may be 
kept in. Small dumplings, with a single apple or peach in 
each, can be cooked in a steamer. Puddings are not only 
much more wholesome, but less expensive than pies. 

Apple Dumplings. — Make a crust, as for biscuit, or a po- 
tato-crust, as follows: Three large potatoes, boiled and 
mashed while hot. Add to them twocupfulsof sifted flour and 
one teaspoonful of salt, and mix thoroughly. Now chop or cut 
into it one small cupful of butter, and mix into a paste with about 
a teacupful of cold water. Dredge the board thick with flour, 
and roll out, thick in the middle, and thin at the edges. Fill, 
as directed, with apples pared and quartered, eight or ten good- 
sized ones being enough for this amount of crust. Boil for 
three hours. Turn out as directed, and eat with butter and 
syrup or with made sauce. Peaches pared and halved, or 
canned ones drained from the syrup, can be used. In this 












HOUSEHOLD. 199 

case, prepare the syrup for sauce. Blueberries are excellent 
in the same way. 

English Plum Pudding. — One pound of raisins stoned 
and cut in two; one pound of currants washed and dried; one 
pound of beef-suet chopped very fine; one pound of bread- 
crumbs; one pound of flour; half a pound of brown sugar; 
eight eggs; one pint of sweet milk; one teaspoonful of salt; 
a tablespoonful of cinnamon; two grated nutmegs; a glass each 
of wine and brand v. 

Prepare the fruit and dredge thickly with flour. Soak the 
bread in the milk; beat the eggs and add. Stir in the rest of 
the flour, the suet, and last the fruit. Boil six hours either in 
cloth or large mold. Half the amounts given make a good- 
sized pudding; but, as it will keep three months, it might be 
boiled in two molds. Serve with a rich sauce. 

Any-Day Plum Pudding. — One cup of sweet milk; one 
cup of molasses; one cup each of raisins and currants; one 
teaspoonful of salt, and one of soda, sifted with three cups of 
flour; one teaspoonful each of cinnamon and allspice. 

Mix milk, molasses, suet, and spice; add flour and then the 
fruit. Put in a buttered mold and boil three hours. Eat with 
hard or liquid sauce. A cupful each of prunes and dates or 
figs can be substituted for the fruit, and is very nice; and the 
same amount of dried apples, measured after soaking and 
chopping, is also good. Or the fruit can be omitted altogether, 
in which case it becomes "Troy Pudding." 

Batter Pudding, Boiled or Baked. — Two cups of flour 
in which is sifted a heaping teaspoonful of baking powder, two 
cups of sweet milk, four eggs, one teaspoonful of salt. Stir 
the flour gradually into the milk, and beat hard for five min- 
utes. Beat yolks and whites separately, and add to batter. 
Have the pudding-boiler buttered. Pour in the batter, and 
boil steadily for two hours. It may also be baked an hour in 
a buttered pudding-dish. Serve at once, when done, with a 
liquid sauce. 

Tapioca Pudding. — Put into one quart of milk two-thirds 
of a cupful of tapioca that has soaked over night, one saltspoon- 
ful of salt; set it on the back part of the stove and heat gently 



200 HOUSEHOLD. 

until the tapioca becomes clear; then beat the yolks of four 
eggs with one cupful of sugar and the rind and juice of one 
lemon; stir this into the boiling milk and tapioca; of the whites 
of the eggs make a frosting with one cupful of pulverized sugar. 
Add the juice of a lemon, or other flavoring, spread over the 
top of the pudding in a baking dish, and let it ; ust brown to a 
cream tint in the oven. It is best eaten cold. 

Cheap Apple Pudding. — In the first place select two deep 
earthen dishes, of the same size and shape, that will hold two 
or three quarts, according to the family. Then fill one with 
nice apples, peeled and sliced thin. Add a teacupful of cold 
water. Cover the apples with a tender crust, then turn the 
empty dish, after it has been well buttered, over the one in 
which you have the pudding, and place them both in a hot 
oven. It will require about half an hour to bake. Let the 
pudding be just ready for the dessert, and do not remove the 
upper dish until the minute the pudding is to be eaten. 

It is nice with sugar and butter, but with rich cream, sweet- 
ened, it is a very delicious dessert. 

Rice Pudding.— Half a teacupful of rice in three pints of 
milk; set it in a tin pail in a kettle of boiling water; let it sim- 
mer till the rice is cooked soft; while hot, stir in two table- 
spoonfuls of butter; set it by to cool; beat five eggs, leaving 
out two whites, and a teacupful of sugar; stir into the rice and 
milk when cold, and set in the oven to bake; take out as soon 
as it forms a custard; do not wait for the custard to set or it 
will whey; one-quarter of a pound of stoned raisins added to 
this is very nice. Make a meringue of the two whites of eggs 
and six tablespoonfuls of pulverized sugar beaten to a stiff 
froth; pile up on the top and set in the oven just two minutes. 

Ginger Pudding. — Five eggs, two teacupfuls sugar, one 
and one-half teacupfuls butter, four teacupfuls of flour, after 
being sifted, one of molasses, one of sour milk, with a teaspoon- 
ful of soda dissolved in it, two teaspoonfuls ground ginger, a 
little cinnamon, a pinch of salt, unless the butter is salt enough ; 
beat the eggs and sugar together, set the molasses and butter 
over the fire to melt the latter; mix alternately the eggs and 
flour; lastly, milk, soda and spice; bake slowly. Eat with the 
following sauce: One-half pint of molasses, one pint of sugar, 



HOUSEHOLD. 201 

lump of butter, size of an egg, a teaspoonful of ginger, a litth 
water. Let all boil and serve hot. 

Cottage Pudding. — One egg, one pint of flour, one cup- 
ful of milk, one cupful of sugar, three tablespoonfuls of 
melted butter, one teaspoonful of soda, two teaspoonfuls of 
cream of tartar. Mix the cream of tartar in the flour, and the 
soda in the milk. Can be made in twenty minutes. Bake 
quickly, and eat with sauce. Square, shallow pans are better 
to bake in. Two teaspoonfuls of baking powder can be used. 

Marrow Pudding. — Grate a large loaf of baker's bread 
and pour on the crumbs a pint of rich milk boiling hot; when 
cold, add four eggs and three-quarters of a pound of beef's 
marrow sliced thin, four tablespoonfuls of lemon juice, in 
which one teaspoonful (level) of mace has been soaked and 
stirred, one teaspoonful of extract of nectarine, and one table- 
spoonful of rose water. Add two cups of raisins and one of 
blanched almonds, if you wish; boil three hours; or omit the 
fruit and use a pound of marrow instead of three-quarters, and 
bake it. 

Steamed Graham Bread. — One cupful of milk, three- 
quarters of a cupful of molasses, one cupful of water, two 
cupfuls of graham flour, three teaspoonfuls of baking powder, 
one half teaspoonful of soda dissolved in a little hot water, a 
little salt; steam three hours. Nice hot' for a dessert with Vir- 
ginia molasses sauce. 

Carrot Pudding. — One pound of grated carrots, three- 
quarters of a pound of chopped suet; one-half pound of raisins 
and currants, four tablespoonfuls of sugar, eight tablespoon- 
fuls of flour, spices to suit the taste; boil four hours and 
bake twenty minutes. This is the recipe, but we question 
whether we would bake it the twenty minutes if it were nice 
without. 

Whortleberry Pudding. — One quart of flour, one heap- 
ing tablespoonful of baking powder, a little salt, and mix with 
cold water, having the dough softer than for soda biscuit; roll 
out the paste and pour upon it one quart of whortleberries, 
then cover the berries by securely lapping the paste as for 
dumplings. The water must be boiling, the pot ample and 



20'Z HOUSEHOLD. 

well filled with the boiling water. Dip the pudding cloth in 
hot water, then flour it well; tie the pudding very closely in 
the cloth and let it boil steadily one hour. 

Cakes. — Spice Cakes. — Two pounds of sifted flour, three- 
quarters of a pound of sugar, three-quarters of a pound of but- 
ter, one tablespoonful of ground spices, one teaspoonful of salt, 
and two tablespoonfuls of yeast; mix it to a nice dough with 
warm milk, cover it, and set in a warm place for three hours; 
then roll it thin; cut it in small cakes, and bake ten or twelve 
minutes in a quick oven. These may be fried as doughnuts. 

Wine Cakes. — Mix eight ounces of flour with half a pound 
of finely powdered sugar, beat four ounces of butter with two 
tablespoonfuls of wine; then make the flour and sugar into a 
paste with it, and four eggs, beaten light; add caraway seeds, 
and roll the paste as thin as paper; cut the cakes with the top 
of a tumbler, brush the tops over with the beaten white of an 
egg, grate sugar over, and bake ten or twelve minutes in a 
quick oven; take them from the tins when cold. 

Soft Gingerbread (Molasses). — Take half a pint of sour 
milk, half a pint of molasses, one teacupful of butter, or salted 
lard, or beef fat, one large teaspoonful of saleratus, dissolved 
in a little hot water, two well beaten eggs, half a nutmeg, 
grated, a teaspoonful of ground cinnamon, and a large spoon- 
ful of ground ginger; mix in sifted wheat flour until it is a 
thick batter which you can stir easily with a spoon; beat it 
well together for some time, then pour it in an inch deep in 
square tin pans, buttered; bake half an hour in a quick 
oven; to ascertain whether it is done, try as directed in intro- 
ductory remarks. 

Soft Gingerbread (without eggs). — Make as directed for 
soft gingerbread, omitting the eggs, and using two teaspoonfuls 
of saleratus instead of one; dissolve it in a teacupful of warm 
water. 

Molasses Cup Cakes. — Two cups of molasses, one cupful 
butter, one cupful of milk, one teaspoonful of powdered saleratus 
dissolved in a little hot water, one teaspoonful of lemon extract, 
half a nutmeg, grated, and two well beaten eggs; stir in, by 
degrees, enough flour to make it as stiff as you can stir easily 



HOUSEHOLD. 203 

with a spoon, beat it well until it is very light, Tub a two-quart 
tin basin over with a bit of butter, line it with white paper, and 
put the cake in it; bake forty minutes in a quick oven; try if 
it is done, by running a broom splint in it at the thickest part; 
if it comes out clean it is done. This is a delicious cake. 

Common Cup Cake. — One teacupful of butter, two of 
sugar, four of flour, four well beaten eggs, one cupful of sour 
milk, one teaspoonful of saleratus, dissolved in a little water, 
one teaspoonful of lemon extract, or a wineglass of brandy, and 
half a nutmeg, grated; beat up the mixture well, butter two 
two-quart basins, line them wi^ white paper, and divide the 
mixture between them; bake in a quick oven three-quarters of 
an hour. 

Pound Cakes. — One pound and a half of flour, one pound 
of butter, one pound of fine white sugar, ten eggs, one gill of 
brandy, half a nutmeg grated, and a teaspoonful of vanilla or 
lemon extract, or orange flour water. 

Beat the butter and sugar to a cream, beat the eggs to a 
high froth, then put all together, beat it until it is light and 
creamy, put it in basins lined with buttered paper, let the mix- 
ture be an inch and a half deep, and bake in a moderate oven 
for one hour, then try it; when done, turn it gently out, reverse 
the pan, and set the cake on the bottom until cold; let the 
paper remain until the cake is to be cut. 

Sponge Cake. — One pound of sugar finely ground, half 
a pound of sifted flour, eight eggs, one teaspoonful of salt, 
one tablespoonful of rose brandy, or a teaspoonful of lemon 
extract. 

Beat the yolks of the eggs, flour and sugar together, until it 
is smooth and light, beat the whites of the eggs to a high froth, 
then beat all together until well mixed; one teaspoonful of 
cream of tartar, and half a teaspoonful of soda sifted dry into 
the flour. 

Butter a square tin pan, line it with paper, and put in the 
mixture more than an inch deep; bake in a moderate ove&. 

Loaf Cake. — One pound of butter beaten to a cream, i^c 
pounds of sugar rolled fine, three pounds of sifted wheat floul, 
six well beaten eggs, three teaspoonfuls of powdered saleratus 



204 HOUSEHOLD. 

dissolved In a little hot water, one tablespoonful of ground 
cinnamon, and half a nutmeg grated; add one pound of cur- 
rants, well washed and dried, one pound of raisins stoned 
and cut in two; work the whole together, divide it in three 
loaves, put them in buttered basins, and bake one hour in a 
moderate oven. 

French Tea Cake. — Beat ten eggs to a high froth, dis- 
solve half a teaspoonful of volatile salts in a little hot water, 
let it stand to cool, then put it to the eggs and beat for ten 
minutes; add four ounces of powdered loaf sugar, and the 
same of sifted flour; beat them well together, line square tin 
pans with buttered paper, put in the cake mixture nearly an 
inch deep, and bake in a quick oven. When served, cut it in 
squares. 

Drop Cakes. — Beat eight eggs very light with one pound 
of powdered sugar and twelve ounces of flour; flavor with 
lemon or rose, and half a nutmeg, grated; if the mixture is not 
beat enough the cakes will run into each other; make them in 
small, oblong cakes, on sheets of paper; grate sugar over each, 
bake in a moderate oven; when done, take them from the paper 
with a knife. 

Wedding Cake. — One pound of flour, nine eggs, the whites 
and yolks beaten separately, one pound of butter beaten to a 
cream, one pound of sugar, one teacupful of molasses, nutmegs 
grated, or ground mace, one ounce, one teaspoonful of ground 
allspice, one teaspoonful of cinnamon and a gill of brandy; beat 
this mixture well. 

Having picked, washed and dried three pounds of currants, 
and stoned, and cut in two, three pounds of raisins, strew half a 
pound of flour over them, mix it well through and stir them 
with a pound of citron cut in strips into the cake. 

Line round tin pans with buttered paper, put the mixture 
in an inch and a half or two inches deep, and bake in a mod- 
erate oven an hour and a half or two hours. See directions 
for icing a cake. 

Plum Cake. — Make a cake of two cupfuls of butter, two 
cupfuls of molasses, one cupful of sweet milk, two eggs well 
beaten, mis teaspoonful of powdered saleratus, dissolved with a 



HOUSEHOLD. 205 

little hot water, one teaspoonful of ground mace or nutmeg, 
one teaspoonful of ground allspice, a tablespoonful of cinna- 
mon and a gill of brandy; stir in flour to make a batter as stiff as 
may be stirred easily with a spoon, beat it well until it is light, 
then add two pounds of raisins stoned, and cut in two, two 
pounds of currants, picked, washed and dried, and half a pound 
of citron, cut in slips. Bake in a quick oven. 

This is fine, rich cake, easily made and not expensive. 

Rich Bride Cake. — Take four pounds of sifted flour, four 
pounds of sweet fresh butter beaten to a cream, and two pounds 
of white powdered sugar; take six eggs for each pound of flour, 
an ounce of ground mace or nutmegs, and a tablespoonful of 
lemon extract or orange flower water. 

Wash through several waters and pick clean from grit, four 
pounds of currants, and spread them on a folded cloth to dry; 
stone, and cut in two, four pounds of raisins, cut two pounds 
of citrons in slips, and chop or slice one pound of blanched 
almonds. 

Beat the yolks of the eggs with the sugar to a smooth paste; 
beat the butter and flour together and add them to the yolks 
and sugar; then add the spice and half a pint of brandy, and 
the whites of the eggs beaten to a froth; stir all together for 
some time, strew half a pound of flour over the fruit; mix it 
through, then by degrees stir it into the cake. 

Butter large tin basins, line them with white paper and put 
in the mixture two inches deep, and bake in a moderate oven 
two hours. The fruit should be prepared the day before mak- 
ing the cake. 

To Make Icing for Cakes. — Beat the white of two small 
eggs to a high froth; then add to them quarter of a pound of 
white sugar ground fine like flour; flavor with lemon extract 
or vanilla; beat it until it is light and very white, but not quite 
so stiff as kiss mixture; the longer it is beaten the more firm it 
will become. No more sugar must be added to make it so. 
Beat the frosting until it may be spread smoothly on the cake. 

This quantity will ice quite a large cake over the top and 
sides. 

To Ice or Frost Cake. — Make an icing as above directed, 
more or less, as may be required. 



206 HOUSEHOLD. 

Turn over the basin in which the cake was baked, and set 
the cake on the bottom, then spread the icing on the sides with 
apiece of card paper or Bristol board, about four inches long 
and two and a half wide, then heap what you suppose to be 
sufficient for the top in the centre of the cake, and with the 
card paper spread it evenly over, set it in a warm place to dry 
and harden, after which ornament it as you may fancy. 

If sugar ornaments are put on, it should be done whilst it 
is moist or soft. 

For small cakes, where a thin icing only is required, it must 
not be beaten as stiff. Let it be so as to flow for the last coat- 
ing of a cake that it may be smooth. 

Almond Cake. — One-half cupful of butter, two of sugar, 
two and a half of flour, three-quarters of a cupful of sweet milk, 
one-half a teaspoonful of soda, one teaspoonful of cream of 
tartar, whites of eight eggs beaten to a stiff froth, one pound 
of soft-shelled almonds blanched by steeping in boiling water 
till the skins are loose enough to remove, and then sliced or 
rolled, adding, while crushing them, the juice of an orange; 
flavor with essence of bitter almond. Bake in a pan two 
inches deep. 

Cookies. — Two cupfuls of white sugar, one cupful of but- 
ter, three eggs, two teaspoonf uls of cream of tartar in the flour, 
one teaspoonful of soda, one tablespoonful of sweet milk; to 
the whole add flour enough to make it a soft mixture; add nut- 
meg. 

Soft Cookies. — Take one cupful of butter and two of 
sugar; rub them to a cream; mix with them three well beaten 
eggs, one teacupful of milk or cream, six cupfuls of flour, one 
teaspoonful of saleratus, and a little nutmeg. 

Currant Short Cake. — String and sugar a quart of cur- 
rants, take a quart of flour, mix well in it a large tablespoonful 
of butter and a tablespoonful of Snowflake baking powder, and 
a little salt; add milk enough to make a soft biscuit dough, 
roll it out three-quarters of an inch thick, and put it into drip- 
ping-pans eight by twelve inches, as this is a good size to cut. 
Bake, and the moment it is done turn out on to a platter, and 
with your carving knife open right through the center; spread 



HOUSEHOLD. .?0? 

well with butter the top and bottom crust, then put in your 
currants, strawberries or raspberries, sprinkle some more sugar 
over, put on the top crust, and return to the oven for ten min- 
utes to soak. 

We consider sweet cream essential for eating with these 
short cakes, but many people do not mind its absence. 

Strawberry short cake is made as above, except that you 
mash one-half the strawberries and ^eave the other half whole. 

Freezing of Ice Cream and Ices.— With a patent freezer, 
ice cream and ices can be prepared with less trouble than puff 
paste. The essential points are the use of rock-salt, and 
pounding the ice into small bits. Set the freezer in the centre 
of the tub. Put a layer of ice three inches deep, then of salt, 
and so on till the tub is full, ending with ice. Put in the 
cream, and turn for ten minutes, or till you can not turn the 
beater. Then take off the cover, scrape down the sides, and 
beat like cake for at least five minutes. Pack the tub again, 
having let off all water; cover with a piece of old carpet. If 
molds are used, fill as soon as the cream is frozen; pack them 
full of it, and lay in ice and salt. When ready to turn out, dip 
in warm water a moment. Handle gently and serve at once. 

Ice Cream of Cream. — To a gallon of sweet cream add 
two and a quarter pounds of sugar, and four tablespoonfuls of 
vanilla or other extract, as freezing destroys flavor. Freeze 
as directed. 

Ice Cream with Eggs. — Boil two quarts of lich milk, and 
add to it, when boiling, four tablespoonfuls of corn starch wet 
with a cup of cold milk. Boil for ten minutes, stirring often. 
Beat twelve eggs to a creamy froth with a heaping quart of 
"ugar, and stir in, taking it from the fire as soon as it boils. 
When cold, add three tablespoonfuls of vanilla or lemon, and 
two quarts either of cream or very rich milk, and freeze. For 
strawberry or raspberry cream, allow the juice of one quart of 
berries to a gallon of cream. For chocolate cream, grate half 
a pound of chocolate; melt it with one pint of sugar and a 
little water, and add to above rule. 

Canning and Preserving. — In canning, see first that the jars 
are clean, the rubbers whole and in perfect order, and the 



208 HOUSEHOLD. 

tops clean and ready to screw on. Fill the jars with hot (not 
boiling) water half an hour before using, and have them ready 
on a table sufficiently large to hold the preserving kettle, a dish- 
pan quarter full of hot water, and the cans. Have ready, also, 
a deep plate, large enough to hold two cans, a silver spoon, an 
earthen cup with handle, and, if possible, a can-filler — that is, 
a small tin in strainer shape, but without the bottom, and fit- 
ting about the top. The utmost speed is needed in filling and 
screwing down tops, and for this reason every thing must be 
ready beforehand. 

In filling the can let the fruit come to the top; then run 
the spoon-handle down on all sides to let out the air; pour in 
juice till it runs over freely, and screw the top at once, using a 
towel to protect the hand. Set at once in a dish-pan of water, 
as this prevents the table being stained by juice, and also its 
hardening on the hot can. Proceed in this way till all are full; 
wipe them dry; and, when cold, give the tops an additional 
screw, as the glass contracts in cooling, and loosens them. 
Label them, and keep in a dark, cool closet. When the fruit 
is used, wash the jar, and dry carefully at the back of the stove. 
Wash the rubber also, and dry on a towel, putting it in the jar 
when dry, and screwing on the top. They are then ready for 
next year's use. Mason's cans are decidedly the best for gen- 
eral use. 

General Rules for Canning. — For all small fruits allow 
one-third of a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit. Make it 
into syrup with a teacupful of water to each pound, and skim 
carefully. Throw in the fruit, and boil ten minutes, canning 
as directed. Raspberries and blackberries are best; huckle- 
berries are excellent for pies, and easily canned. Pie-plant 
can be stewed till tender. It requires half a pound of sugar to 
a pound of fruit. 

For peaches, gages, etc., allow the same amount of sugar as 
for raspberries. Pare peaches, and can whole, or in halves, as 
preferred. Prick plums and gages with a large darning-needle 
to prevent their bursting. In canning pears, pare and drop at 
once into cold water, as this prevents their turning dark. 

Always use a porcelain-lined kettle, and stir either with a 
silver or a- wooden spoon — never an iron one. Currants are 



HOUSEHOLD. 20& 

nice mixed with an equal weight of raspberries, and all fruit is 
more wholesome canned than in preserves. 

MISCELLANEOUS RECIPES AND DIRECTIONS. 

To Test the Purity of the Atmosphere.— Fill a glass tumbler 
with lime water, and place it in any convenient position. The 
rapidity with which a pellicle forms on its surface corresponds 
to the amount of carbonic acid, or foul air, present in the 
atmosphere that surrounds it. 

To Clean Wall Papers. — Let the servant or man employed 
get on high steps, and first brush the wall all over with a per- 
fectly clean brush. Then divide a stale loaf in large pieces 
and rub the paper downwards with it in firm, clear strokes; 
he must not go back over it with the same piece Of bread, nor 
rub it up and down, only downwards. The bread will remove 
all the dirt and leave the paper like new; but it must not be 
used dirty, a fresh piece must be taken when the last used is 
soiled, otherwise dust will be carried from one breadth of the 
paper to the next. 

To Remove Grease Spots. — If there are any grease spots on 
the paper, cover them with a little moist fuller's earth, and 
when it is dry brush it off. Repeat the application if required. 

To Clean Paint. — Get some of the best whiting; powder it 
and then sift it, so that it may be as fine as possible. Put it in 
a plate for use. Get some clean, warm water in a basin, and a 
piece of soft flannel, and a new soft chamois leather. 

Dip the flannel in the water and squeeze it nearly dry; then 
rub it down in the whiting, and take up as much as will adhere 
to it. Rub the paint gently with it and it will clean it per- 
fectly. Next lightly wash the part done with clean water, and 
dry with the chamois leather. The paint will look as well as 
if it were just done, and the most delicate colors will be unin- 
jured. It is a better mode than the old one of soap and water, 
and it is also quicker about. 

Window-cleaning should be done by men, if the windows 
are high up. No woman should be allowed to run the risk of 
breaking her neck from a height, nor to stand where she is 
indelicately exposed to observation, but she ought to clean the 
inside of the windows with the footman or hired cleaner. 

Plate-glass is best cleaned with wet whiting, which is after- 
wards washed off, and the glass is rubbed with a chamois 
leather. 

If paint-splashes have been left on the panes of glass by 
the painter, it can be removed by washing the glass with soda 
and water, which will quite clear it from them. 

14 



210 HOUSEHOLD. 

Board Cleaning". — Boards should never be rubbed across, 
but up and down the boards. After being well scrubbed with 
soap, hot water and a brush, they should be washed over 
again with clean water and soft cloth, and then well dried by 
hard rubbing. To extract oil from boards (it is frequently 
upset on them by careless painters), make a lye of pearl-ashes 
and rain water; add to it unslacked lime as much as the water 
will absorb; stir well together; let it settle, and bottle for use. 
Dilute it with rain-water when required, and wash the greasy 
spots quickly with it. Do not let it remain wet, for fear of 
discoloring the boards. Boards may be whitened by scrub- 
bing them with soft water, sand, and slacked lime. This will 
also destroy insects. 

How to Clean Carpets. — Carpets should be swept the way 
of the pile, with wet tea-leaves, to prevent the dust from flying 
over the curtains and furniture. A short-handled soft brush 
should be used for valuable carpets, and the servant must 
sweep it with care once a week. Once a year carpets should 
be well shaken. 

Bedroom carpets should be wiped over, especially under 
the bed, with a damp cloth every day, or at least three times a 
week. 

The house-wife who has her carpets wiped with a damp 
cloth daily (if mud be on them, the spots must first be brushed 
off), will find that it is only necessary to sweep them once a 
week, and that they will last for years longer than if they were 
swept daily. Of course the cloth must not be wet, only damp 
enough to pick up flue and dust. But, however it is cleaned, 
be sure that it is done often and effectually, for the sake of 
health. 

Polished floors, well varnished, with a mere strip of carpet 
by the side of the bed (in bedrooms), is better and healthier 
than our present carpeted rooms. 

For Removing Grease from Carpets.— Half a wineglassful 
of fuller's earth, half a wineglassful of magnesia. Mix the 
above in a basin with boiling water; put it hot on the grease 
spot, or spots, and leave it on till it is dry, then brush it off, 
and you will find the spots are gone. Or, if the grease is 
recent, lay a sheet of blotting-paper over it and iron over the 
spot with a hot flat-iron; it will come out in the blotting-paper, 
but you must keep moving the paper and applying fresh parts 
of it till the heat has absorbed the whole of the grease. 

To Remove Ink from Carpets.— If the ink is just spilled, 
take up as much as you can with a spoon and with blotting 
paper. When you have taken off all that is possible, wash well 
with skim milk (London milk does as it is), then wash again 






HOUSEHOLD. 211 

with hot water. As soon as the accident happens, wet the 
place with juice of sorrel, or lemon, or vinegar, and the best 
hard white soap. Old ink-stains are hard to get out; but they 
can be removed by first wetting the spot and then applying 
salts of sorrel. Wash off immediately, however. 

Fuller's earth, mixed with lemon juice, will also take other 
stains out of carpets. 

Carpets should not be swept with a whisk-brush above once 
a week. It wears them out if it is used oftener. 

To Clean Floor Cloths. — Sweep them, and wash them now 
and then with milk; never scour them with a brush, or use 
soap or hot water on them, as it would take off the paint. A 
soft cloth and lukewarm water are all that is required to clean 
them. 

Oil-cloths are washed, when they require it, with a soft 
flannel wetted with milk; or, with a mixture of salad-oil and 
weak table beer. Never use soda or soap to them. 

To Clean Greasy Cocoanut Matting. — Thoroughly scrub it 
all over with hot water and soap, then loosely fold it and put 
it into a large washing-tub. Pour a quantity of cold water 
over it, then hang it out on a line in the sun to dry. 

To Clean Straw Matting. — Wash as seldom as possible; but 
when it becomes imperatively necessary to do so, use salt and 
water. Salt will prevent the matting from turning yellow. 
Dry as fast as you wash, and wash only a small space at a 
time. 

Stained boards are dusted and polished as stained furni- 
ture would be. 

To Clean Glass. — Tumblers and wineglasses should be 
washed in cold water in which a little soda is dissolved, then 
turned up to drain, dried with a soft, clean, and dry cloth, and 
finally polished with a leather or an old silk handkerchief. 
Chandelier or lustre glasses are washed in the same way. De- 
canters require careful cleaning. First have ready some strong 
suds of white soap and water and a little pearlash. Mash up 
an egg-shell well, drop it into the bottle, pour in some of the 
soap-suds, and shake it well about till the bottle is clean, then 
empty it; put in fresh suds and clean inside with a small sponge 
on the end of a glass-stick; rinse out twice with clean cold 
water. Next put them into the soap-suds, and if they are cut 
wash them with a regular glass-brush; next rinse the outside. 
Dry the inside with a clean piece of linen on the end of your 
glass-stick. Wipe the outside with a dry glass-cloth, and pol- 
ish off with a leather or silk handerchief. 

To Remove Rust.— To remove rust from steel, cover with 



212 HOUSEHOLD. 

sweet oil, well rubbed on it; in forty-eight hours use unslacked 
lime, powdered very fine. Rub it till the rust disappears. To 
prevent the rust, mix with fat oil varnish four-fifths of well- 
rectified spirits of turpentine. The varnish is to be applied by 
means of a sponge; and articles varnished in this manner will 
retain their brilliancy and never contract any spots of rust. It 
may be applied to copper, philosophical instruments, etc. 

To Distinguish Iron from Steel. — Let a drop of diluted 
nitric acid fall on the metal, and, after a few minutes, wash it 
off with water. If the metal be steel, a black spot will be left 
on it; if it be iron, a whitish spot will remain. The reason is 
that the nitric acid dissolves the iron in both cases, but the 
charcoal that enters into the composition of the steel remains 
undissolved, and constitutes the blackness. 

To Clean Marble. — One ounce of potash, two ounces of 
whitening, and a square of yellow soap, cut into small pieces; 
boil altogether in a saucepan, until it begins to thicken; apply 
this with a large brush to the marble. If the marble is very 
dirty, let it remain all night; if not, one hour will be sufficient. 
Then wash it carefully off with plenty of cold water and a 
sponge. Take care the mixture is not applied too hot. Or: 

Equal quantities of soft soap and pearlash. 

Put the soap and pearlash on the chimney-piece with a soft 
flannel; let it lie on for a few minutes. Wash it off with warm 
water, not too hot; wash it over a second time with cold spring 
water. Acids act on marble. Marble is itself composed of 
carbonate of lime — that is, it is a compound of carbonic acid 
and lime. Now the carbonic acid has a comparatively weak 
affinity for lime, and most other acids will prevail over it and 
take its place when brought into contact with it; thus destroy- 
ing the texture of the stone, liberating the carbonic acid, and 
leaving some salt of lime, in the form of a white powder, in its 
place. 

When marble has had its polished surface eroded by acids 
— and even lemon juice or vinegar will do this readily — the 
only mode of reparation is to have the marble again polished 
by the use of polishing powders, such as emery. 

Neither spirits nor water produce any permanent effect on 
marble, but fixed oils and grease soak into its substance, and 
it is impossible to remove them, as any agent potent enough 
to act on the grease will also destroy the texture of the marble. 
A portion of the grease may be extracted by covering with 
fuller's earth or pipeclay. But marble should be carefully pre- 
served from contact with grease or oil. 

To Clean Brass. — Rub it with a little sal ammoniac finely 
powdered and wet. Warm the brass first; polish with wash 
leather. Or 



HOUSEHOLD. 213 

Rub with a soft wash-leather dipped in sweet oil; then with 
finely powdered rotten-stone. Polish with wash-leather. The 
Americans use powdered rotten-stone, well mixed with a pint 
of water. Then a teaspoonful of sulphuric acid is added. 
This mixture is applied gently, then rubbed off, and the brass 
polished with powdered whiting which has been sifted through 
muslin. Use wash leather in all cases. Some persons wash 
the brass with the sulphuric acid and water, and then polish 
with rotten-stone, etc., etc. 

To Clean Real Bronze.— Wash the ornaments gently (with 
a sponge) with soap and water, then rinse them in beer. Do 
not wipe it off or rub the ornaments at all, but place them in 
a spot at a little distance from the fire, until they are quite 
dry. Use very little soap. 

Bronzed chandeliers, lamps, etc., should be only dusted 
with a feather brush or soft cloth. Washing takes off the 
bronzing. 

To Clean Gilt Lamp and Chandeliers. — Wipe off the dust 
with a soft cloth, and wash gently with fine soap-suds and soft 
lukewarm water. Any wrought work may be carefully cleaned 
out with a very soft tooth-brush. 

To Clean Steel and Iron. — One ounce of soft soap, two 
ounces of emery, make it into a paste; then rub the article for 
cleaning with wash-leather, and it will give a brilliant polish. 

For Removing Paint from Wood. — Mix one pound of soda, 
such as is used for washing, two pounds of lime, unslacked. If 
the paint is very strong on the wood, add one-half pound of 
potash. 

Mix these ingredients together, and dilute with water until 
the mixture becomes rather thicker than whitewash, and then 
rub it on the paint with a piece of wood folded up in rag. The 
person who uses this preparation must be careful not to touch 
it with his hand. 

To Clean Japanned Waiters, Urns, Etc. — Rub on with a 
sponge a little white soap and some lukewarm water, and wash 
the water or urn quite clean. Never use hot water, as it will 
cause the japan to scale off. Having wiped it dry, sprinkle a 
little flour over it; let it rest awhile, and then rub it with a soft 
dry cloth, and finish with a silk handerchief. If there are white 
heat marks on the waiters, they will be difficult to remove. But 
you may try rubbing them with a flannel dipped in sweet oil, 
and afterwards in spirits of wine. Waiters and other articles 
of papier mache should be washed with a sponge and cold 
water, without soap, dredged with flour while damp; and after 
a while wiped off, and then polished with a silk handkerchief. 



214 HOUSEHOLD. 

Wood Furniture. — The greatest care should be taken to 
keep furniture fresh and clean. If the house-wife is neat and 
careful her property will last much longer than otherwise, and 
her dwelling will always possess a charm too often wanting in 
more pretentious dwellings. 

Furniture which is French polished should be carefully 
dusted every day, and polished once a week, with the furniture 
polish to be bought at any good chemist's. Generally these 
polishes are better and really cheaper than any that the house- 
keeper can make herself. The chemical and mechanical ac- 
tion of different substances on articles of furniture is very little 
understood by persons in general, and consequently the most 
absurd directions are frequently issued for the preparation of 
cleaning materials, and also for preventing injury from certain 
agents. The substances from which furniture is chiefly ex- 
posed to injury are water, oils, spirits of various kinds, such as 
brandy, eau-de-Cologne, benzine, etc., and acids. 

Varnishes, or polished surfaces of wood, are easily injured 
by volatile mineral spirits, such as those used for lamps, or by 
any alcoholic spirit, as brandy or wine. The polish is com- 
posed of gums and resins which are soluble in spirits. Many 
of these polishes or varnishes are made by dissolving the ma- 
terials in alcohol, then when they are applied the spirit evapo- 
rates and the gum or resin is left in a thin polish or varnish on 
the wood. Of course, if wine, brandy, or spirits of wine fall 
on it, a portion of it is again dissolved, and the brilliancy of 
the surface is destroyed. The only remedy for these kinds of 
stains or marks is to have the table, or whatever it may be, re- 
polished. 

Heat has ths same effect on French polish. A hot plate, or 
dish, or cup, or mug, placed on it, leaves its shape as a dull 
mark on the table. Therefore dining tables are better not 
French polished, but well rubbed with oil. When furniture is 
not French polished, it is well to rub it with linseed oil, slightly 
colored with alkanet root. Every time the dinner table is 
rubbed all the leaves should be put in, so that the portions of 
the table may be of the same color, for oil darkens mahogany, 
and if the leaves are not rubbed every time there will soon be 
a great difference of shade between them and the table. 

A Capital Recipe for Polishing Tables.— Cold-drawn lin- 
seed oil, one pint; spirits of wine, one ounce; white tonic vine- 
gar, one pint; spirits of turpentine, one ounce; powdered gum 
arabic, one-half once; butter of antimony, one and one-half 
ounce; spirits of salt, one ounce. 

The above ingredients to be well mixed together and shaken 
previous to being used. 

Family Recipe for Polish for Furniture not French Pol- 



HOUSEHOLD. (215 

ished. — Three ounces of beeswax; three ounces of hard white 
soap; one ounce of spermeceti, cut up small and simmered in 
a pint of water, keeping it stirred all the time. Pour it into a 
jar and keep it well covered. 

French Polish. — We give the following excellent recipe, 
which proves experimentally to be good for those who may- 
wish to polish a table or box for themselves, premising that the 
surface to which it is applied must be perfectly cleaned first: 
Shellac, one ounce and a half; mastic, half an ounce; san- 
darac, half an ounce; rectified spirits of wine, two ounces. 
Pound the gums very finely in a mortar, and put them in a 
bottle which will rather more than hold the whole quantity; 
stand the bottle in a kettle of cold water, which bring slowly 
to a boil; let it boil for some time, until the contents of the bot- 
tle become like treacle (this requires great care), stirring the 
while with a wire rod. Roll several yards of flannel list into 
a flat coil, put a little sweet oil on it, and cover with a piece of 
old linen; on this apply the polish. 

Furniture Polish. — Half a pint of spirits of wine; one-half 
ounce of gum shellac; one-half once of gum benzoin; one-half 
ounce of gum sandarac. 

Put the whole into a bottle for a day or two, and shake it a 
few times. When the gums are dissolved it is fit for use. 
When you think the polish is laid on thick enough, take a clean 
wad and cloth, put a little clean spirits of wine on the wad, the 
same as you did the polish, and rub it up the same way, but 
rub very lightly, and rub until quite dry. You must put a lit- 
tle oil on the cloth, the same as in laying on the polish. 

For Polishing Furniture.— Half a pint of vinegar; half a 
pint of linseed oil; two pennyworth of butter of antimony. 

To Clean the Face of Soft Mahogany or other Wood.— After 
scraping and sand-papering in the usual manner, take a sponge 
and well wet the surface to raise the grain; then with a piece 
of fine pumice-stone, free from stony particles,rub the way of the 
fibres; rub the wood in the direction of the grain, keeping it 
moist with water; let the wood dry then; if you wet it again you 
will find the grain much smoother, and it will not rise so much; 
repeat the process, and you will find the surface perfectly 
smooth, and the texture of the wood much hardened. By this 
means common soft Honduras mahogany will have a face equal 
to Hispaniola. If this does not succeed to your satisfaction, 
you may improve the surface by using the pumice-stone with 
cold drawn linseed oil, in the same manner as you proceeded 
with water; this will be found to put a most beautiful, as well 
as durable, face to the wood, which must then be polished or 
varnished. 



216 HOUSEHOLD, 

To Clean and Lay by Curtains.— -In summer it is usual to 
lay by curtains of rep, damask, or chintz, and replace them 
with lace or muslin curtains, which look much cooler, and the 
more expensive rep and chintz are preserved by it. Rep cur- 
tains should be well brushed and shaken; wrapped in linen 
cloths, and put away (protected by bags of pepper, cedar 
shavings, or camphor, from the chance of moths) in a dry 
closet or a deep drawer. Chintz should be spread on a long 
table and rubbed all. over with clean bran and flannel, which 
cleans the glaze nicely. Then fold and lay them by. If chintz 
curtains have the dust blown off them once a week by a pair of 
bellows, and are taken down and well shaken once a quarter, 
they will last seven years without requiring cleaning. The 
writer speaks from experience in this matter. It is wiser to 
have lace and muslin curtains cleaned than washed, and quite 
as cheap. Chintz should also be sent to be cleaned and 
re-glazed when dirty. 

To Clean Covers which are not Silver.— Put a piece of 
mottled soap (about two ounces) and about the same quantity of 
whiting into a jug and pour boiling water on ft; mix till it 
becomes a thick paste, quite smooth. Then rub it on the 
covers, let it dry, and rub off with dry whiting and a leather. 
This preserves the cover from being scratched. The insides 
and outsides of covers should be carefully wiped the moment 
they are brought from the table. 

There are also pastes sold for cleaning covers, about the 
best of which is Graham's paste; but the old fashioned mode 
of using soap and whiting for the purpose does very well, and 
preserves the covers longer. 

When they are plated, they are best cleaned like other plate, 
with gin and whiting mixed, or with rouge powder. 

To Clean Tins. — Clean tins as you would clean covers, 
with soap and whiting mixed to a cream in boiling water. Lay 
it on with a piece of leather; let it dry, and then rub it off 
with dry whiting and a clean leather. 

To Clean Copper and Brass.— Mix oil and brickdust, or 
oil and finely powdered rotten-stone (sifted through muslin) 
together; rub it on with a piece of leather; let it rest a little 
while on, and then rub off with a dry soft leather. 

Many people use oil of turpentine and rotten-stone, but the 
copper very soon tarnishes after its use; others use oxalic acid, 
but this is so dangerous a poison, and so painful if it chance to 
get into the servant's eyes, that we strongly object to its use. 

To Clean Lacquered Brass.— Wash with a stiff lather of 
soap and water; let the brass lie in it for three days, taking it 



HOUSEHOLD 217 

l 
out every day and brushing it with a hard brush; let it dry, 
and then rub it with a leather. 

To Clean Stair-rods. — Mix finely powdered rotten-stone 
and sweet oil to a paste, then rub it on each rod with a piece 
of flannel or woolen. Polish with the dry powder of the rotten- 
stone and a nice leather. 

The same mixture, carefully applied to inlaid brass or brass 
handles of furniture, answers very well; but care must be 
taken not to let it lodge in any network or hollows of the brass. 

To Clean Candlesticks. — Melt all the wax or grease off 
with boiling water; but on no account melt it by putting the 
candlesticks before the fire, as it melts the solder. Tin candle- 
sticks must be cleaned as other tins are. Plated candlesticks 
should be cleaned with plate-powder. 

To Clean the Insides of Pots, Pans and Kettles. — Boil 
in the kettle or pot a little sal-ammoniac for the space of one 
hour, to remove the fur. Be sure to wash out a dirty saucepan 
with boiling water the moment you finish using it 

To Clean Steel or Iron. — Make a paste of two ounces of 
soft soap and four of emery-powder — that is, two ounces of 
coarse emery -powder and two of fine. Put this paste on fire- 
irons, fenders, etc., and afterwards rub off with dry wash 
leather. Some people use crocus powder moistened with sweet 
oil. This is best for polished steel. 

To Take Rust out of Steel. — The steel must be covered 
with sweet oil, and left for 48 hours, then rubbed with leather, 
and this must be repeated till the rust is removed. Or, you 
may rub it with the finest emery-paper 

To Clean Cast Iron and Black Hearths.— Mix together 
black lead and whites of eggs to a liquid consistency; paint 
the stove, etc., all over with it, and rub bright with a hard 
brush. 

To Clean Looking-Glasses. — Wash them with spirits of 
wine; dry them; powder slightly with whiting, and rub off with 
a leather. Take care that the whiting does not get into the 
edge of the frame. 

Polish the mahogany frames with furniture paste. Beware 
of spilling scents on polished looking-glass frames, as it removes 
the polish. 

To Clean Plate. — Plate should be treated with great care. 
Never put it into a basket or tray with knives, nor mix 
spoons with forks, for fear of making scratches which nothing 
will remove. Wash it directly it comes from table with warm 



218 HOUSEHOLD. 

water and soap, rinse it in cold water, wipe it, rub it well with 
a leather. Never suffer mercurial preparations to be used for 
silver. It is a really saving plan to boil it for half an hour 
in soft water, with whiting and yellow soap enough to make a 
lather. Rinse it with cold water, wipe with a soft towel, and 
rub with a leather. 

Gas blackens silver sadly, and the deep stain can only be 
removed by a plate-powder. Rouge (which is made by the 
precipitation of sulphate of iron by carbonate of potash), is 
most generally used, and does very well. In our own house- 
hold the plate is cleaned by first being nicely washed in warm 
water and wiped dry. Then a mixture is made of whiting and 
gin, or spirits of wine (which is in many respects better), and it 
is rubbed wet on the silver. A sponge is used to rub this mix- 
ture on, as it is soft It is let dry very thoroughly, so that it 
will rub off like powder with a piece of flannel; then it is 
polished with a chamois leather. Be sure that the whiting is 
reduced to the finest possible powder. It should be ground 
quite fine and even, then sifted through coarse book-muslin, as 
any rough bits will scratch. 

To Take Stains out of Silver.— Steep the plate in soap, 
let it lie for four hours, then cover it with whiting wet with 
vinegar, so that it may stick upon the silver, and dry it by the 
fire; after which rub off the whiting, rub it over with dry bran, 
and the spots will disappear, and the plate look bright. 

To Remove Ink Stains from Silver. — The tops and other 
portions of silver ink-stands frequently become deeply dis- 
colored with ink, which is difficult to remove by ordinary 
means. It may, however, be completely eradicated by making 
a little chloride of lime into a paste with water, and rubbing it 
upon the stains. 

An Old Family Recipe to Make Old Plate Look Like New. 
—Take of unslaked lime and alum a pound each; of aqua vitse 
and vinegar each a pint; and of beer grounds two quarts; 
boil the plate in these ingredients, and it will receive a beau- 
tiful polish from them. 

Plate is best polished by the naked hand, but the operation 
gives some pain to the rubber. Jewelers thus polish plate, but 
it requires the thick-skinned, yet soft palm of a practiced hand 
to do it. 

Egg-spoons get discolored and tarnished by the sulphur in 
the egg uniting with the silver as soon as it is moistened by 
saliva. This tarnish is a sulphuret of silver, and may easily 
be removed by rubbing it with table salt or a little hartshorn. 

Let the plate in use be counted over every night — a card 



HOUSEHOLD. 219 

with a list being kept in the plate-basket — and the basket car- 
ried to the master's or lady's room. 

To Clean Britannia Metal.— Finely powdered whiting, two 
tablespoonfuls of sweet oil, and a little yellow soap melted to 
some thickness; mix, with a little spirits of wine. Rub this 
cream on with a sponge or soft flannel, wipe it off with a soft 
cloth, and polish with a leather. 

To Clean a Metal Teapot. — Pour into it a solution of com- 
mon soda boiling hot; let it stand twelve hours near the fire; 
then pour it away, and wipe with a clean cloth. 

To Clean Gilding". — Brush off dust with a feather brush. 
Never wipe with linen, it takes off and deadens the gilding. 

To Clean Steel Knives and Forks. — The moment used 
knives are taken into the kitchen, they should be dipped in 
warm water and wiped, taking care not to wet the handles. 

Knives are cleaned on a board covered with India-rubber, 
with brick-dust sold for the purpose. In some large families 
Kent's knife-cleaner is used. This machine saves labor, but 
requires care in putting the knives in. Printed directions and 
a powder for it are sold with the machine. 

Knives are cleaned on the board by being rubbed smartly 
on it, with brick-dust spread on the surface. Steel forks are 
washed, dried and also rubbed on the board with brick-dust. 
The intervals between the prongs are cleaned with a small bit 
of stick wrapped in leather and rubbed in brick-dust. 

Knives are often stained by fruit or vinegar. The stains 
can be removed by rubbing them with a piece of raw potato 
before they are cleaned on the board. 

To make Windows like Ground Glass. — Make a hot solu- 
tion of sal-ammoniac. Brush the solution over the pane or 
panes; the moisture will instantly evaporate and leave a beau- 
tiful radiated deposit. 

Plies. — House-flies are very destructive to furniture. They 
may be effectually destroyed by mixing half a spoonful of 
ground black pepper, a teaspoonful of brown sugar, and a tea- 
spoonful of cream. Place the mixture in a room where flies 
are troublesome. 

Or: — Put saucers of strong green tea, sweetened, about the 
room. This will poison flies. 

They also dislike elder leaves, and will keep away from 
them. 

To Kill Beetles or Crickets. — Parings of cucumber strewn 
near their holes, or strong snuff. 



220 HOUSEHOLD. 

To Get Rid Of Ants. — A little green sage placed in their 
haunts will drive them away. Quick-lime scattered over their 
hills and watered will destroy them. 

How to take Ink out of Boards. — Strong muriatic acid or 
spirits of salts, applied with a piece of cloth; afterwards well 
washed with water. 

To take out Spots of Ink. — As soon as the accident hap- 
pens, wet the place with juice of sorrel or lemon, or with 
vinegar, and then rub with best hard soap. 

Cement for Glass. — Equal parts of flour, powdered chalk, 
and finely pulverized glass; half the quantity of brick-dust, 
scraped lint, and white of egg. 

To Preserve Water Fresh.— Put into the barrel or cistern 
3 lbs. of black oxide of maganese, powdered; stir it well, and 
the water will keep good an indefinite time. 

To Wash Flannel Without Shrinking it.— Have plenty of 
hot soft water, make a suds with good soap, rub the clothes 
clean and rinse out all the soap. Do not let the clothes cool 
from the time they are wet till they are ready to put on the 
line. Put them into the next suds, or the rinsing water, as fast 
as wrung out, and let them cool in the basket before you hang 
them up. Wash them in the morning, on a sunshiny day, if 
possible, so they will have a good chance to dry. 

To Wash Colored Flannels. — Make a suds of cold water 
and ordinary bar soup; wash the garment and rinse in cold 
water. Press while it is still damp. In this way children's 
fancy sacques and bright dresses may be kept looking like 
new, neither shrinking nor changing color. Don't be afraid to 
try it. 

To Remove Grass Stains.— Pour boiling hot water on the 
stains before washing the garments. 

Nice Glossy Starch. — To three cupfuls of water take three 
rounded teaspoonfuls of starch, a pinch of salt, and one tea- 
poonful of powdered borax. Dissolve your borax in part of 
the water; then add starch and salt; dip your collars, cuffs and 
bosoms into the starch. Your irons must be good; rub them 
with bees-wax, and we promise you a stiff, glossy surface with 
never a failure. 

To Remove Iron Rust Stains. — Moisten the spot with a 
solution of Epsom salts in a few drops of hot water, and iub 
in well once or twice; then fill a tin vessel with boiling water 
and set it on the stain; rinse in cold water. 



HOUSEHOLD. 221 

* Tp Remove Mildew. — Rub common brown soap on the 
spot, and scrape white chalk in it. Keep wet and lay in the 
sun. 

To Remove Scorches. — Scorches made by over-heated flat 
irons can be removed from linen by spreading over the 
scorched cloth a paste made of the juice pressed from two 
onions, one-half ounce of white soap, two ounces of fuller's 
earth, and half a pint of vinegar. Mix, boil well and cool 
before using. 

To Prevent Blue Fabrics from Fading. — Dissolve two tea- 
spoonfuls of sugar of lead in one gallon of water, soak the 
stockings or cloth in this solution from half to one hour, 
according to material. Delicate fabrics need to soak only 
until saturated; rinse before washing and wash quickly. 

Blueing. — One ounce of best Prussian blue, half an ounce 
of oxolic acid, one quart of soft water. Heat enough of the 
water to dissolve the acid, then stir in the blue, add cold water 
and bottle for use; keep in the cellar. 

To Clean Silk Dresses. — Equal quantities of alcohol, molas- 
ses and soft soap; one pint of each will do two dresses; beat 
well together, and after spreading a breadth of silk on a 
clean kitchen table, scour it with an old but clean clothes 
brush; have three tubs or pails of water, take up the breadth 
of silk by the top and dip it up and down in first one pail, 
then the second, and then the third. When there is no color 
left in the water the rinsing is complete. Pin the breadths 
to the clothes-line without wringing. When a little damp press 
out with a cold iron. Before cleaning rub the grease spots 
with pure naptha or gasoline. We have used this horrid- 
looking mixture with the best success on even light silks and 
silk with white stripes. 

Paint Spots. — When neither turpentine nor benzine will 
remove paint spots from garments, try chloroform. It will 
absorb and remove paint which has been on for six months. 

A Cure for Bedbugs. — Gosoline or a strong solution of 
ammonia are both good remedies. 

The only sure remedy that, in the course of seventeen 
years, we have invariably found efficacious, is a preparation of 
copperas, one pound to one gallon of boiling water. The 
most infected house we ever saw was cleared by filling a syringe 
with this fluid and shooting it into the cracks and crevices of 
the rooms and walls. Sponging or painting the bedstead with 
this solution will keep them away for months and forever. 
The only drawback to this is that it leaves a stain like iron rust. 



222 HOUSEHOLD. 

Oil of cedar is an excellent and cleamy remedy. Salt and 
kerosene oil in cracks and under base boards is good. 

To Drive Away Mice. — Moisten chloride of lime, and stop 
their holes of ingress with the paste. If the holes are inacces- 
sible, set the chloride around on small plates. Mice do not 
like it. 

To Get Rid of Black Ants. — Get five cents worth of tartai 
emetic; mix in an old saucer with sugar and water, and set in 
your pantry or cupboard, where the ants trouble you. In 
twenty-four hours every ant will have left the premises. With 
me the same dish of tartar emetic answered as well the second 
year as the first; as the water dries out add more. 

Dyeing. — It may be necessary to remark, once for all, that 
every article to be dyed, as well as everything used about dye- 
ing, should be perfectly clean. 

In the next place, the article to be dyed should be well 
scoured in soap, and then the soap rinsed out. It is also an 
advantage to dip the article you wish to dye into warm water, 
just before putting it into the alum or other preparation; for 
the neglect of this precaution it is nothing uncommon to have 
the goods or yarn spotted. Soft water should always be used 
if possible, and sufficient to cover the goods handsomely. 

As soon as an article is dyed it should be aired a little, 
then well rinsed, and afterwards hung up to dry. 

When dyeing or scouring silk or merino dresses, care should 
be taken not to wring them; for this has a tendency to wrinkle 
and break the silk. 

In putting the dresses and shawls out to dry, that have 
been dyed, they should be hung up by the edge so as to dry 
evenly. 

Chrome Black. — For Woolen Goods. — For five pounds 
of goods, blue vitriol, six ounces; boil it a few minutes; then 
dip the goods three-quarters of an hour, airing often; take out 
the goods, and make a dye, with logwood, three pounds; boil one- 
half hour; dip three-quarters of an hour, and air the goods, 
and dip three-quarters of an hour more. Wash in strong suds. 
This will not impart any of its color in fulling, nor fade by 
exposure to the sun. 

Black on Wool. — For Mixtures. — For ten pound of 
wool, bichromate of potash, four ounces; ground argal, three 
ounces; boil together, and put in wool; stir well, and let it 
remain in the dye four hours. Then take out the. wool, rinse 
it slightly in clear water; then make a new dye, into which put 
logwood, three and one-half pounds. Boil one hour, and add 
chamber lye, one pint, and let the wool lie in all night. Wash 
in clean water. 






HOUSEHOLD. 223 

Snuff Brown. — Dark, for Cloth or Wool. — For five 
pounds of goods, camwood, one pound; boil it fifteen minutes, 
then dip the goods for three-quarters of an hour; take out the 
goods, and add to the dye, fustic, two and one-half pounds; 
boil ten minutes, and dip the goods three-quarters of an hour; 
then add blue vitriol, one ounce; copperas, four ounces; dip 
again one-half hour; if not dark enough, add more copperas. 
It is dark and permanent. 

Wine Color. — For five pounds of goods, camwood, two 
pounds; boil fifteen minutes; then dip the goods for one-half 
hour; boil again, and dip one-half hour; then darken with blue 
vitriol, one and one-half ounce; if not dark enough, add cop- 
peras, one-half ounce. 

Madder Red. — To each pound of goods, alum, five ounces; 
red, or cream of tarter, one ounce; put in the goods, and bring 
your kettle to a boil for. one-half an hour; then air them, and 
boil one-half hour longer; then empty your kettle, and fill 
with clean water; put in bran, one peck; make it milk warm, 
and let it stand until the bran rises; then skim off the bran, 
and put in madder, one half pound; put in your goods, and 
heat slowly until it boils and is done. Wash in strong suds. 

Green. — On Wool or Silk, with Oak Bark. — Make a 
strong yellow dye of yellow oak and hickory bark in equal 
quantities. Add the extract of indigo, or chemic, one table- 
spoonful at a time, until you get the shade or color desired. 

Blue. — Quick Process. — For two pounds of goods, alum, 
five ounces; cream of tartar, three ounces; boil the goods in 
this for one hour; then throw the goods into warm water, 
which has more or less of the extract of indigo in it, according 
to the depth desired, and boil again until it suits, adding more 
of the blue if needed. It is quick and permanent. 

Stocking Yarn, or Wool, to Color. — Between a Blue 
and Purple. — For five pounds of wool, bichromate of potash, 
one ounce; alum, two ounce; dissolve them, and bring the water 
to a boil, putting in the wool, and boiling one hour; then throw 
away the dye, and make another dye with logwood chips, one 
pound; or, extract of logwood, two and one-half ounces; and 
boil one hour. . This also works very prettily on silk. 

Whenever you make a dye with logwood chips, either boil 
the chips one-half hour, and pour off the dye, or tie up the 
chips in a bag, and boil with the wool or other goods; or, take 
two and one-half ounces of the extract in place of one pound 
of the chips is less trouble and generally the better plan. In 
the above recipe, the more logwood that is used, the darker 
will be the shade. 



384 HOUSEHOLD. 

Scarlet, with Cochineal. — For Yarn or Cloth. — 
F\>r one pound of goods, cream of tartar, one-half ounce; cochi- 
neal, well pulverized, one-quarter ounce; muriate of tin, two 
and one-half ounces; then boil up the dye, and enter the 
goods; work them briskly for ten or fifteen minutes, after 
which boil for one and one-half hours, stirring the goods 
slowly while boiling; wash in clear water and dry in the shade. 

Pink. — For three pounds of goods, alum, three ounces; 
boil, and dip the goods one hour; then add to the dye, cream 
of tartar, four ounces; cochineal, well pulverized, one ounce; 
boil well, and dip the goods while boiling, until the color suits. 

Orange. — For five pounds of goods, muriate of tin, six 
tablespoonfuls; argal, four ounces; boil, and dip one hour; 
then add to the dye, fustic, two and one-half pounds; boil ten 
minutes, and dip one-half hour; and add again to the dye, 
madder, one teacupful; dip again one-half hour. 

Cochineal in place of madder makes a much brighter color, 
which should be added in small quantities until pleased. 
About two ounces. 

Purple. — For five pounds goods, cream of tartar, four 
ounces; alum, six ounces; cochineal, well pulverized two 
ounces; muriate of tin, one-half teacupful. Boil the cream of 
tartar, alum, and tin fifteen minutes; then put in the cochineal 
and boil five minutes; dip the goods two hours; then make a 
new dye with alum, four ounces; Brazil wood, six ounces; 
logwood, fourteen ounces; muriate of tin, one teacupful, with 
a little chemic; work again until pleased. 

Silver Drab. — Light.— For five pounds of goods, alum, 
one small teaspoonful, and logwood about the same amount; 
boil well together, then dip the goods one hour; if not dark 
enough, add in equal quantities alum and logwood until 
suited. 

Dark Colors. — To Extract and Insert Light. — This 
recipe is calculated for carpet-rags. In the first place let the 
rags be washed clean; the black or brown rags can be colored 
red, or purple, at the option of the dyer; to do this, take, for 
every five pounds of black or brown rags, muriate of tin, three- 
quarters of a pound, and the lac, one-half pound, mixed with 
the same as for the lac red; dip the goods in this dye two 
hours, boiling one half of the time. If not red enough add 
more tin and lac. The goods can then be made a purple by 
adding a little logwood; be careful and not get in but a small 
handful, as more can be added if not enough. White rags 
make a beautiful appearance in a carpet, by tying them in the 
gkein, and coloring them red, green, or purple; gray rags will 



HOUSEHOLD. 



225 



take a very good green; the coloring will be in proportion to 
the darkness of mix. 

Black. — For five pounds of goods, sumach, wood and 
bark together, three pounds; boil one-half hour, and let the 
goods steep twelve hours; then dip in lime water one-half hour; 
then take out the goods, and let them drip an hour; now add 
to the sumach liquor, copperas, eight ounces, and dip another 
hour; then run them through the tub of lime-water again for 
fifteen minutes;, now make a new dye with logwood, two and 
one-half pounds; by boiling one hour, and dip again three 
hours; now add bichromate of potash, two ounces to the log- 
wood dye, and dip one hour. Wash in clear, cold water and 
dry in the shade. You may say this is doing too much. You 
cannot get a permanent black on cotton with less labor. 

Blue on Cotton or Linen. — With Logwood.— In all 
cases, if new, they should be boiled in a strong soap-suds or 
weak lye, and rinsed clean; then for cotton, five pounds, or 
linen, three pounds, take bichromate of potash, three-quarters 
of a pound; put in the goods and dip two hours; then take 
out and rinse; make a dye with logwood, four pounds; dip in 
this one hour, air, and let stand in the dye three or four hours, 
or till the dye is almost cold; wash out, and dry. 

Green. — If the cotton is new, boil in weak lye or strong 
suds; then wash and dry; give the cotton a dip in the home- 
made dye-tub, until blue enough is obtained to make the green 
as dark as required; take out, dry, and rinse the goods a little; 
then make a dye with fustic, three-quarters pound; logwood, 
three ounces to each one pound of goods, by boiling the dye 
one hour; when cooled so as to bear the hand, put in the cot- 
ton, move briskly a few minutes, and let it lie in one hour; take 
out, and let it thoroughly drain; dissolve and add to the dye, 
for each pound of cotton, blue vitriol, one-half ounce; and dip 
another hour; wring out and let dry in the shade. By adding 
or diminishing the logwood and fustic, any shade of green may 
be obtained. 

Yellow. — For five pounds of goods, sugar of lead, seven 
ounces; dip the goods two hours; make a new dye with bichro- 
mate of potash, four ounces; dip until the color suits, wring 
out, and dry; if not yellow enough, repeat the operation. 

Red. — Take muriate of tin, one-half of a teacupful; add 
sufficient water to cover the goods well, bring it to a boiling 
heat, putting in the goods one hour, stirring often; take cut 
the goods and empty the kettle, and put in clean water, with 
nic-wood, one pound, steeping it for one-half hour, at hand 
heat; then put in the goods, and increase the heat for one hour, 
15 



226 



HOUSEHOLD. 



not bringing to a boil at all; stir the goods, and dip an hour as 
before; wash without soap. 

Green. — Very Handsome with Oak Bark. — For one 
pound of silk, yellow oak bark, eight ounces; boil it one-half 
hour; turn off the liquor from the bark, and add alum, six 
ounces; let it stand until cold; while this dye is being made, 
color the goods in the blue dye-tub a light blue; dry and wash; 
then dip in the alum and bark dye; if it does not take well, 
warm the dye a little. 

Yellow. — For one pound of silk, alum, three ounces; 
sugar of lead, three-quarter of an ounce; immerse the goods in 
the solution over night; take out, drain, and make a new dye 
with fustic, one pound; dip until the required color is obtained. 

N. B. — The yellow or green for wool works equally well 
on silk. 

Crimson. — For one pound of silk, alum, three ounces; dip 
at hand heat one hour; take out and drain, while making a 
new dye, by boiling ten minutes, cochineal, three ounces; 
bruised nut-galls, two ounces; and cream of tartar, one-quar- 
ter ounce, in one pail of water; when a little cool, begin to dip, 
raising the heat to a boil, continuing to dip one hour; wash 
and dry. 





DOMESTIC PETS. 



This is a very comprehensive title, and might fairly be 
supposed to comprise ponies, donkeys, dogs, cats, rabbits, poul- 
try, and pigeons; but this article will be confined to animals 
kept in the house, and will especially relate to those which may 
be legitimately called pets, the care of them devolving entirely 
upon their owners. Out-of-door pets must necessarily be left, 
in a great measure, to the care of servants, and cannot be so 
essentially home friends. The following remarks are by a 
well known writer: 

Squirrels, dormice, and white mice are sometimes kept in 
captivity by those whose lives are chiefly spent in towns, and 
who have no knowledge of the wild and frolicsome creatures 
in their native haunts; but they appear to lead very unnatural 
lives in confinement, and are not very desirable pets for 
the house. It is difficult to keep their cages quite sweet and 
clean. All may be domesticated, however, and are, we believe, 
capable of attachment to their owners. We have never kept 
any ourselves, but our brothers had dormice from time to nine, 
and several small families were born and brought up under their 
care, but most of them came to an untimely end. 

The Squirrel. — The squirrel seems so delightfully f*ee and 
happy, playing about on the tops of the tallest trees in the 
woods, launching himself boldly into the air, and taking tre- 
mendous leaps from branch to branch, that, after seeing the 
pretty little creature at his ease, one does not feel inclined to 
deprive him of the liberty he seems so thoroughly to enjoy; 
but if he is captured, his life ought to be made as happy as 



228 DOMESTIC PETS. 

possible, and he should be allowed as much exercise as he 
can have in the house. His cage should be at least three or four 
feet long and three or four feet high, and instead of the revolving 
cylinder, which is very injurious to the little prisoner, he 
should have a good-sized branch of a tree, to form perches for 
him, and be able to frisk about at pleasure in his little parlor, 
A little sleeping-box must be attached to this, with a door at 
the back, and the board forming the floor should be drawn out 
like that of a bird cage. Every part of the cage must be kept 
as clean as possible, and the moss and cotton wool, which 
must be put into the squirrel's bedroom, must be changed near- 
ly every day. The active little creature does not often live long 
in confinement; but if taken young, and very carefully man- 
aged, it may become a very tame and a very engaging pet, and 
may sometimes be trusted to frolic about out of doors when 
tame enough to return at his owner's call. His cage should, 
however, be lined with tin; for he is apt to gnaw the wood with 
his sharp little teeth when impatient of confinement. He should 
be fed on nuts, almonds, filberts, beech masts, walnuts, acorns, 
wheat in the ear, and fir cones; and he is fond of milk, cold 
tea, and bread and milk. A little bit of boiled potato, and 
even a tiny morsel of cooked meat, may be given as a treat, and 
a stale crust of bread to gnaw. All creatures require variety 
in their food, and in his wild state the squirrel gets animal food 
by robbing birds' nests of their eggs occasionally. He lays up 
a store of food for the winter in various holes and crevices, 
and is much too acute ever to put by a nut in which a maggot has 
been, or to miss the place where his treasure is concealed, even 
when several inches depth of snow covers the ground. The 
female is a very affectionate mother, and will remain with her 
young in the nest even while the tree in which it is, is cut 
down, or will carry them, one after another, in her mouth, to a 
place of safety. She generally builds on the topmost branches 
of the fir tree, and the nest is made of dry grass and sticks, 
very slightly yet firmly put together, and lined with fur, which 
she scratches off her body before the young ones are born. 
This is generally in the summer, and the young squirrels re- 
main with their parents till the following spring, when they are 
able to manage for themselves. They have a substantial win- 



DOMESTIC PETS. 229 

ter's nest, to which they appear to add every year fresh layers 
of hay and moss, to make their habitation more and more warm 
and comfortable. It is said the best time to buy a squirrel is at 
the end of September, when it is fat and vigorous and its fur is 
in good condition; but it is never safe to purchase those which 
are sold in the street as "wonderfully tame," and which will 
allow themselves to be handled by a stranger, and pulled about, 
without showing any disposition to bite. The probability is 
that the poor little creatures have been stupified by some drug, 
and that they will either recover their natural ferocity in a few 
hours, or die — poisoned by the narcotic which has been given 
them. 

The Dormouse. — The dormouse is very like the squirrel in 
many of its habits; it lives upon much the same food, and is a 
hybernating animal too, laying up a store of eatables for the 
winter, and passing the greater parts of the cold months in sleep. 
In a cage it is not seen to advantage; throughout the day it is 
generally rolled up into a little soft ball of fur, fast asleep, and 
its architectural talents are quite thrown away. It is, in its 
wild state, a very clever nest-builder. A writer gives a most 
fascinating description of a dormouse's nest, which he found in 
a hedge four feet from the ground, in the forking of a hazel 
branch, the smaller twigs of which formed a palisade round it. 
The nest itself was six inches long and three wide, and construct- 
ed of grass blades and leaves of trees. The blades of the sword- 
grass were chiefly used, and these were twisted round and be- 
tween the twigs so as to form a hollow oval nest. Finer sorts 
of grass and the slender stems (not bigger than thread) of deli- 
cate climbing weeds, interwoven with the leaves of hazel and 
maple trees, were used for the bottom of the nest; the entrance 
to which was most ingeniously concealed by long blades of 
grass placed across it in such a manner as to spring back to 
their places, after having been pushed aside to admit the dor- 
mouse into the nest. This was never used as a storehouse; the 
little creature had its winter provisions carefully hidden under 
a thick branch in the neighborhood of the nest. While hyber- 
nating, the dormouse does not seem to require food; but it 
wakes up occasionally during the winter, perhaps when a warm 
sunny day calls it into life for the time, and then it takes food 



230 DOMESTIC PETS. 



before it rolls itself up and sleeps again. It requires a good 
deal of warmth, and must have soft hay, moss, and wool, given 
it to form its bed, and it does its best with these, but cannot 
construct anything very beautiful out of them. 

If we had a tame dormouse, we think we should try and 
provide it with materials which it might be induced to use for 
the construction of a nest like that described. The dormice 
we once had were kept in a cage made for dormice, wired at 
one end, with a little compartment at the other boarded in, 
the door of which was pulled up and pushed down at pleasure, 
so that the little creatures could be shut into their bedroom 
when the outer room was cleaned out. Even with this precau- 
tion they were continually getting out of the cage, they were 
such nimble little animals, and the whole house was often 
searched in vain for the truants. At last, perhaps, they would 
be found in the fold of a curtain or underneath the cushion of 
a sofa. Sometimes a worse fate befell them, and they would 
creep under the cushion of an arm-chair, and get crushed to 
death, or be trodden under foot, or be squeezed under a door 
in trying to escape. They sleep during the day and come out 
in the evening, so that they must be provided with food as soon 
as it grows dusk; and, if they have a large cage with sticks 
placed across it, they will gambol about very merrily in the 
open part of it as soon as night approaches. Their food should 
be varied as much as possible; they will eat nuts and almonds, 
peas and beans, canary seed, and various other grains; and 
they are very fond of the milky juice of a dandelion or sow- 
thistle. We used always to put a little tin pan of milk into 
the cage every night, and they would often drink it all, espec- 
ially when they had young ones. It is said that rabbits will be 
hindered from devouring their young by providing them with 
water, and that they would not eat them unless maddened by 
thirst or suffering from extreme hunger. Some dormice have 
the same propensity to cannibalism; and, if this theory about 
the rabbits be correct, it may apply also to the mother dor- 
mouse which devours her young. We thought she did so when 
alarmed for their safety, not being able to conceal them else- 
where; but it would be well to provide her with a constant sup- 
ply of water or milk when nursing. The milk is useful too in 



DOMESTIC PETS. 231 

furnishing the dormouse with animal food; out of doors it eats 
insects. There are generally four or five young ones in a litter, 
born blind, but able to see in a few days, and they are soon 
capable of taking care of themselves. The cage must, of 
course, be kept perfectly clean, and the floor of the open part 
should be sanded like a bird cage. 

Mice. — White, grey-and-white, and brown-and-white mice 
are sometimes kept in cages like those of the dormouse, and 
they must be treated in the same manner. The common brown 
mouse is said to be a more tractable and intelligent pet, and 
to be easily tamed by patient kindness. We never heard a 
mouse sing, but several instances are recorded of mice who 
have learned to imitate the chirp and even the song of a 
canary kept in the room in which they were; so that 
it might be worth while to try to give such pets the bene- 
fit of a musical education for the chance of their acquiring 
so curious an accomplishment. The little harvest mouse, the 
tiniest of British quadrpueds, has sometimes been kept in a 
cage, and will grow tame enough to take its favorite food, flies 
and other insects, from the hand. It is a most beautiful little 
creature, very active and agile, climbing about by means of its 
long tail and flexible toes, and leaping like a little Jerboa. It 
should have grains of wheat and maize, and canary seed, and 
plenty of water always in the cage; and wool or flannel and 
grass for its nest, which in its wild state is the most beautiful 
and elaborate construction of leaves and grass woven together 
into a round ball and suspended from strong grass-stems, 
wheat-stalks, or thistle-heads. In the winter it takes refuge in 
corn ricks, or burrows deeply in the earth, and makes a warm 
bed of grass. Even in confinement the harvest mouse will 
show its instinctive propensity to store up food for the winter, 
and if a number of grains of wheat or seed are given to it, will 
carry them off and hide them in its nest. 

Birds. — None of these little creatures, however pretty and 
intelligent they may be, seem to us to be such desirable pets to 
be kept in the house as birds, to, which the remainder of this 
article will be devoted. We can make them so happy, and they 
can tell us when anything is amiss with them so plainly — so 
thoroughly enjoying our petting, and becoming so attached 



232 DOMESTIC PETS. 

to us — that no trouble is thrown away upon our feathered 
pets. 

On the whole, canaries flourish best in imprisonment. All 
the English finches do well in aviaries or cages; but one does 
not like to see them imprisoned while their brothers and sisters 
are flying about at large close by — one thinks they must envy 
them their liberty, and long to join them; while canaries would 
suffer extremly exposed to the cold of winter, if, indeed, they 
survived it. As regards other birds — robins, wrens, titmice, 
sparrows, &c. — it is much pleasanter to have them visiting us 
from the garden than to keep them shut up all the year round; 
and larks and nightingales are so completely out of their natu- 
ral element in cages, that one cannot feel happy in keeping 
them. Any one who will take the trouble to feed the birds 
that congregate round the house in winter, may soon have a 
family of pensioners. 

The robins will become our very familiar friends, hopping 
about at their ease on the breakfast-table, examining every arti- 
cle in the room with the utmost self-possession; will visit us 
regularly through the cold months, and, if they leave us in 
spring, will bring their young ones to make our acquaintance 
when they leave their nests. Crumbs of bread, potatoes, and 
scraps of fat will make a feast for the poor little hungry birds, 
driven by frost and snow to our doors; and the saucy tomtits 
and sparrows will afford us much amusement in return for our 
hospitality. 

We may get much insight into the special characteristics of 
the birds by watching them when they are at their ease, and a 
hard winter will sometimes make them so tame, and so accus- 
tom them to our care, that they will hover about us out of 
doors, and peck at the windows for admittance at their usual 
feeding hours. 

Although we do not advocate keeping English birds in con- 
finement as a rule, it will sometimes happen that nestlings will 
be thrown upon our compassion, which have either fallen out 
of their nest, lost their parents, or have been taken captive by 
village boys, and are likely to come to a miserable end if not 
taken care of. Under these circumstances it is as well to know 
how to bring them up by hand. We once had several nests to 



DOMESTIC PETS. 233 

take care of, and all the young birds were reared and sent out 
into the world when able to take care of themselves; all but 
two bullfinches, which were given to a neighbor, who fed them 
upon hemp-seed — the consequence of which was that nearly- 
all of their feathers fell off, and they were the most miserable 
little objects that can be conceived, and their little red-hot 
bodies were quite uncomfortable to touch. A course of warm 
baths and plenty of cooling green food, however, restored them 
to health and beauty, and they were returned to their owner 
with a warning against hemp-seed. It is said that a bullfinch 
fed entirely upon this heating feed will become blind. 

Nestlings. — Nestlings should be fed upon bread soaked in 
water, squeezed nearly dry, and chopped up finely with rape- 
seed which has been scalded by pouring boiling water upon it, 
and leaving it till quite cold. Of course this food must be 
made fresh every day; if it grew sour it would kill the birds at 
once. About four quills full of it is enough for a meal for one 
young bird; but they generally clamor for food till they have 
enough, and then settle down to sleep again. They must be 
fed as soon as possible in the morning after sunrise, and will 
require food at intervals of from one hour and three-quarters 
to two hours throughout the day, the last meal being given 
about sunset, when they must be covered up for the night. 
The best plan is to keep the nest in a shallow box, over which 
a board can be laid to darken it, otherwise the birds will be 
asking for food every quarter of an hour. As soon as they 
hear a step in the room they begin to chirp; and when the box 
is uncovered they will stretch out their necks, and as they grow 
older jump out of the nest, and fly upon the hand or shoulder 
in their impatience for food. In time they will learn to feed 
themselves with the soft food, and by degrees pick up and 
shell the seed put into their cage; for, of course, they must be 
put into a cage as soon as they are fledged sufficiently to en- 
able them to fly. It is best to crush the hemp-seed for them 
at first, but they soon learn to shell the canary and rape-seed. 

The linnets and greenfinches we brought up by hand were 
very tame, and, although seed and water were always within 
their reach, we accustomed them to be fed by hand, and kept 
any food of which they were particularly fond — hemp-seed, 



234 DOMESTIC PETS. 

plantain, or chickweed, for instance, which all birds love — to 
be given them as dainties; so they always expected something 
nice, and would fly out of their cages and all round the room 
in their joy as soon as we opened the doors, returning to perch 
on the hand, shoulder or head when they wanted their food. 
The greenfinches were very bold birds, and as familiar as pos- 
sible. They were great eaters, and very eager for their favor- 
ite food, so they always welcomed us very heartily; but we did 
not prize their affection so much as that of the linnets, which 
were naturally more shy and retiring, and required more court- 
ing and petting. They are very nice pets, and become very 
much attached to their owner, and their song is very sweet; 
but if kept in confinement they never acquire the red poll and 
breast which ought to distinguish the male bird in full plum- 
age. They are fond of flax or linseed, but they must not have 
much of it or they will grow very fat. Canary and rape-seed 
should be the principal food both of linnets and greenfinches. 
Goldfinch. — The goldfinch is a universal favorite, both from 
its beauty and sprightliness; it is very restless in a cage, and 
therefore, it hardly appears as contented as some less active 
birds; but it will live many years in confinement, and in an 
aviary is as happy as possible. It ought not to have a bell- 
shaped cage, as it is apt to grow giddy, twirling its beak along 
the wires. It is very easily tamed, and is capable of great at- 
tachment to its owner, and may generally be safely allowed a 
flight round the room while its cage is being cleaned. We had 
one which would fly across the room as soon as its cage door 
was opened, and perch on our shoulder for its favorite food of 
hemp-seed. It is rather fond of eating, and takes so much ex- 
ercise that it requires plenty of food. It will not sing without 
a few hemp-seeds in the day,but it must not be fed solely upon 
this heating seed. Canary, rape, and poppy-seed should be the 
ordinary food of goldfinches. Lettuce, groundsel, chickweed, 
and water-cress, they should have frequently, and plantain in 
the winter; in the wild state they feed much on thistle-seed, 
and they should often have a thistle-head given to them, to 
pick the seeds out of it for themselves. They ought not to have 
sugar or sweet cakes, but they exceedingly enjoy a treat of bis- 
cuit, and Reading cracknels are very wholesome for them, and 



DOMESTIC PETS. 



235 



thoroughly appreciated by goldfinches, bullfinches, and 



cana- 



ries. 



The goldfinch is a very tractable bird, and there are many 
accomplishments which he will learn, and seems to exhibit with 
pleasure. He may be taught to fire off a small cannon, to 
feign death, and stand unmoved while fireworks are let off 
close to him, to mount a ladder, &c; but when these tricks are 
made use of by his master to exhibit in public for pay, he is 
often treated with cruelty to make him a proficient in them. 
Many very harmless accomplishments he will learn, however, 
merely by patience and kindness on the part of his master — to 
open a box for his seed, to ring a bell when he wants food, to 
drag a little wagon up an inclined plane into his cage, and to 
draw up water from a little well underneath it. All these are 
easily taught, and the bird really seems to find pleasure in such 
little tasks. "One of my birds who lived in a cage so con- 
structed as to have the seed always in a box of which he had 
to lift up the lid, and the water in a well to be drawn up in a 
bucket, was quite unhappy when his home was undergoing re- 
pair, and he had to live for a time in an ordinary cage, and 
sang his merriest song when he had to go to work with his 
little chain and pail again. I taught him to lift the lid of the 
box by having it open for one day, and then gradually lower- 
ing it by means of a piece of silk put round it, fastened at the 
back of the cage, till it was quite shut. He very soon found 
out that he must lift it up with his beak in order to reach the 
seed; and at last he became so crafty about it, that he would 
take out two or three seeds at once, and put a reserve by his 
side between the wires while he ate one. The cage was made 
with a wooden back, and the box was let into this above the 
door, and the lid fastened to the inside with two little hinges 
(care should be taken that the lid is not too heavy for the bird 
to lift easily, and that it should fall at once when not held up); 
a little bow window was constructed in the front of the cage, 
in the floor of which was a little hole with a wire across it, to 
which was attached a light silver chain fastened to a silver 
bucket about the size of a thimble. A small colored glass 
tumbler was fixed below the bow window, by means of four 
strong wires and a ring. This was filled with water and the 
bucket dropped into the well, and the bird hauled up the chain 



236 DOMESTIC PETS. 

with his beak, holding each fresh haul with his feet till the 
bucket came to the hole, and he could drink out of it. I taught 
him this accomplishment by filling the bucket with water, and 
putting it on the floor of the bow window to accustom him to 
look for water there; then I let it down by means of the chain 
pushed through two of the side wires by degrees, lowering it a 
little more every day. At first the bird pulled up the short 
bit of chain with his beak, and let it go before he could drink 
out of the bucket, but he gradually found out that he must 
hold the chain when he had drawn it up, and when he had 
once succeeded in doing this his education was finished; he 
never forgot the art, and often showed his delight in his task 
by singing when he had drawn up the bucket while his chain 
was under his feet, before he quenched his thirst. Of course 
it is necessary to see that the machinery of the bucket, chain, 
and well is always in order; any hitch preventing the bucket 
from falling into the well and getting refilled with water would 
cause the poor little bird to die of thirst. The bullfinch and 
siskin will readily learn this accomplishment, and I had a mule 
bird (whose parents were a goldfinch and canary) who learned 
it very quickly; but I never succeeded in teaching a canary t<? 
put his foot on the chain, though he would pull it up with hi? 
beak readily enough — of course, always to be disappointed by 
the falling down of the bucket. A goldfinch will learn to puK 
a little wagon up an inclined plane in the same way, and 
to take his seed out of it, the chain attached to the wagon- 
having to be hauled in and held in the same manner. The 
way to teach him to ring for his food, is to suspend a little belt 
in a corner of his cage, and when he has been an hour or two- 
without food, to ring it by means of a string attached to it, and 
immediately to place some of his favorite seed in the glass. In 
a t"ew days he will discover that whenever the bell rings he gets 
a meal, and will seize the string, and peal away merrily when- 
ever he is hungry." 

The goldfinch is rather subject to epileptic fits, and, when- 
ever he is seized with one, he should be plunged head down' 
wards into cold water, and one or two dips will restore him at 
once. He is a large eater, and in all probability has indulged 
his appetite too much, so that he must be kept upon a low diet 



DOMESTIC PETS. 237 

of lettuce seed and thistles, and have no hemp-seed for a few 
days after he has had one of these fits. 

He is fond of bathing, and should have a bath every day. 
The goldfinch will sometimes mate with the canary, and the 
mules are very pretty. He must, however, be taken away from 
his wife as soon as she begins to lay, as he has a mischievous 
propensity for breaking the eggs. After the young birds are 
hatched he may be put back into the cage, and will help in 
feeding them. 

Canaries. — If our readers desire to have a nursery of young 
birds, they will find canaries the best in every respect to rear. 
There is no doubt about their happiness in a cage, if proper 
attention be paid to them ; and we would fain believe that no one 
who reads these pages would willingly cause them suffering from 
want of care, or would attempt to keep pets upon whom they 
are not ready to bestow all the time and trouble necessary to 
keep them in health and comfort. People are not worthy of 
their birds if they neglect them, and leave them to the care of 
servants, to whom they are either troublesome or indifferent. 
And their attention will be received with such expressive grati- 
tude and delight — their feathered pets will welcome them so 
gladly, and show so plainly how much their happiness depends 
upon their care — that they will be sufficiently rewarded for its 
bestowal. They should become intimately acquainted with their 
birds' dispositions, too, and learn their language thoroughly, 
and they will find a fund of amusement in their society. This 
is more easily accomplished when one or two pet birds are kept 
in a cage alone, than when there are a number of canaries 
together in a very large cage or aviary, but we always like best 
to see them under such circumstances — they seem so thor- 
oughly happy when they have room for flying and frolicing 
about; some birds, too, will sing best when they are excited by 
emulation with others, but occasionally a good songster is 
sulky when in company, and prefers being alone. One of our 
birds who had been accustomed to a small single cage, never 
seemed at ease when in a large one, and resented being jostled 
by others. He was an old bird, too, and did not like his saucy 
young companions, and showed his displeasure by total silence 
whenever he was placed with them; so we had to restore him 
to solitary grandeur. 



238 DOMESTIC PETS. 

All through the autumn and winter months, about twentv 
or thirty birds will live very happily together, in a cage from 
three to four feet long, and two feet high and wide. This 
should be made of tin wire, as brass is apt to corrode, and 
communicate its poisoned green rust to the birds, when they 
rub their beaks against it; the iron rust is very good for them. 
The wood may be either mahogany or varnished deal. The 
arrangements for seed and water should be carefully attended 
to. If the former is put into the cage, the bird-hoppers are 
best to use, because the seed is kept clean, and only falls down 
as the birds peck and scatter away the husks beneath. A good 
plan is to have the seed and water in long, covered boxes out- 
side the cage, with china or glass trays to take in and out of 
them. These can be kept perfectly sweet and clean, and the 
birds cannot make the seed or water dirty. Objections are 
made to the old-fashioned bird-glasses, because they are some- 
times carelessly put into the wires which hold them, so that 
they slip aside, and the poor little birds cannot get at the 
water; but no provision for their comfort can succeed if care- 
lessness be allowed at all. We do not advocate their use, 
however, for if they are very full the seed or water often gets 
spilt into the cage, and, if not, the birds have to stretch their 
little necks painfully to reach their food. Sometimes, too, a, 
young bird will contrive in some mysterious fashion to get into 
the glass, and, having got in, cannot extricate itself. Nothing 
looks prettier at first than a fountain in the middle of the cage; 
but it becomes so dirty in a few hours that it is not well to use 
it. A bath, wired round like the cage, should be made to 
hang on the doorway, and the birds will go in and out and 
splash about in this, with the greatest delight. It must be 
taken away when they have all had a good washing, in cold 
weather especially, as some of them will go into the bath again 
and again, and get completely chilled. In winter the water 
must have the chill taken off, and whenever the sun shines they 
may have a bath safely. They must always have sand spread 
on the board at the bottom of the cage; and the coarse gravelly 
sand is best for them. It is a good plan to have a second board 
and two sets of perches for a large cage; this gives opportunity 
for washing and drying them thoroughly, and when the board 






DOMESTIC PETS. 239 

gets wetted by the splashing of the birds, it can be dried 
before it is returned to the cage. Of course the perches must 
be made to take in and out of the cage; they should be round 
and smooth like a bamboo. A swing suspended from the cen- 
tre is a source of pleasure to the birds, and if the cage has a 
domed top, looks very pretty underneath it. They much enjoy 
having a pot of mignonette or of chickweed put in; and all 
perch eagerly about it, and soon devour every leaf and flower. 
No plant that would be injurious to them must be put either 
in or close to the cage, for they are sure to eat the leaves, and 
the beauty of the plant is destroyed in a few hours. A fir 
branch put into the cage occasionally gives them a good deal 
of amusement, and seems to do them no harm; but it is very 
soon reduced to a bare pole. Plantain is very good winter 
food for them, and they enjoy picking it from the stalk. Their 
food should have plenty of variety, to keep them in health and 
good humor. They must not have sugar or sweet cakes, but 
plain biscuits — cracknels for instance — are good for them. 
Their staple food should be canary and bird turnip (the small, 
brown summer rape) seed, a small quantity of hemp-seed each 
day, and occasionally, in cold weather, a pinch of maw, or 
poppy-seed, always to be given while the birds are moulting. 
When they are building they must have a mixture of hard- 
boiled egg and finely-crumbled stale bread, with a pinch of the 
same seed mixed with it every morning. It must always be 
made and given freshly, or it will turn sour and kill the birds. 
This food may be dispensed with while the hen is sitting; but 
as soon as she is about to hatch, it must be put in the cage for 
the young to feed upon. 

Canaries ought to have green food three or four times a 
week, chickweed, groundsel, or lettuce. It is better for them 
to have a little constantly than a great quantity now and then, 
when they are apt to eat over-eagerly of it. They should have 
some whole oatmeal or grits every day; sometimes a little 
piece of bread soaked in milk, not boiled, unless it is given as 
medicine; a little lump of basalt to peck at, or a bit of apple, 
or pear, or potato, or rice pudding. All these tit-bits are, of 
course, to be considered as delicacies, to be given by the birds' 
owner, and they will help very much to win their affection. 



240 DOMESTIC PETS. 

They require warmth and nourishing food during moulting; 
if they seem weak, a rusty nail in the water gives them a little 
tonic, and a small piece of Spanish licorice is good for hoarse- 
ness. By way of physic, we have rarely found any of the 
many nostrums recommended as specifics of much use, except- 
ing boiled milk. If they have been eating too freely of green 
food, a lump of chalk may be useful. Some bird-fanciers give 
ants' eggs and a spider occasionally, and it is likely that this 
animal food would be good for them now and then. Most 
birds are, to a certain extent, insectivorous in their wild state. 
Variety in their food is necessary for all birds; and if they have 
this, and the seed is good and sound, and they are not exposed 
to draughts or sudden changes of temperature, they will rarely 
have anything amiss with them which a warm bath will not 
cure. Whenever birds look moping, or when the hen is "egg- 
bound," and cannot lay her eggs, we give them a bath at 96 ° , 
holding the bird in hand while immersing all but the head in 
the water for three or four minutes, then taking it out and 
drying the feet, put it in the sunshine, or at a little distance 
from the fire to get dry. Sometimes, if a bird is not fond of 
bathing, the feet will get clogged, especially during nesting, 
when the claws get a bit of hair or cotton twisted around them 
occasionally, and the feet should be cleansed in warm water, 
and gently freed from their troublesome encumbrance. 

An old bird's claws will sometimes grow too long, so that 
it cannot perch comfortably, and they must be very carefully 
cut, taking care not to draw blood, or to injure the bird in any 
way. Whenever possible, it is best to avoid catching the bird, 
especially if they are wild and fly about in alarm; but if taught 
to consider their owner as their friend, they will gradually sub- 
mit; without much fluttering, to be taken hold of; and illness 
generally tames them sufficiently to make them quiet when 
they require to be taken out of the cage to be put into a bath. 

Early in the spring, when the cock birds begin to fight, th e 
hens should be taken away, and kept apart in another cage till 
the pairs are put together in March. Some people allow their 
birds to choose their own mates; but a great deal of quarrel- 
ling takes place before this, and two or three gentlemen will 
sometimes fix their affections on the same lady, and they will 



DOMESTIC PETS. 241 

get injured in the combats that ensue; besides which, if it be 
an object to secure good colored birds, it is necessary to put 
those together whose colors contrast well: a mealy cock with a 
jonque hen, or a green bird with a yellow partner. Handsomer 
birds are obtained by these selections than when two birds of 
the same color are paired; and two crested birds should never 
be put together, the young will probably be bald-headed. It 
is best to give an old wife to a young cock, and vice versa) and 
the birds of a family should never be mated together; the pro- 
geny will infallibly be weak and unhealthy if this is permitted. 
Two of our birds were accidentally paired, a brother and sis- 
ter, and the result was that one of their children was blind and 
another deformed. For these reasons it is best not to leave 
the birds to choose for themselves, but to separate them before 
any attachment springs up between them. Cages sold as 
"breeding cages" have a wooden compartment at the top of 
one end for nest-boxes, and a wired-off partition underneath, 
into which the young birds may be put when it is desirable to 
separate them from their parents. There are some advantages 
in these cages, and the birds which are shy and like retirement 
prefer them to the open cages; the only objection to them is 
that they are inconveniently small when a large family is 
hatched, and that the nest-boxes are necessarily so high that 
the young birds sometimes fall, when they come out of the 
nest before they are fully fledged, and are injured thus. On 
this account we put nest-baskets into our cages, at a little dis- 
tance from the floor, so that the young birds hop in and out 
easily; and if the old birds should entangle their feet in the 
nest (which they sometimes do if the claws are long and they 
fly out in a hurry), and the young birds are thrown out of it, 
they are not likely to be so much hurt as if they fell from 
the greater height. ■ Breeding cages have compartments 
for the separate pairs, three in each, the centre space being 
kept for the young birds of each family, that they may be fed 
through the wires' by the old birds, when they have left the 
nest, but cannot feed themselves. This space is necessary, too, 
to prevent quarrels, as the birds on each side of the wire par- 
tition will sometimes try to fight, and make furious assaults on 
their neighbors through the bars, or jealousies will arise to 



242 DOMESTIC PETS. 

break their domestic peace, if, while the hen is sitting, her hus- 
band chooses to feed his neighbor's wife through the wires. 
The pairs should be kept as retired and out of sight of each 
other as possible. The materials for the nest should be hung 
up in the cage in a little net; fine moss and cow-hair are best; 
if cotton wadding is given it is apt to get matted and clogged 
round the bird's claws. The hen will generally make the nest 
herself; but some birds are idle about it, and do not take the 
trouble to do more than to put a little moss or wool into the 
basket, and then it is as well to make a nest for her; but it 
is not at all certain that she will allow it to remain in the bas- 
ket. Some birds seem to prefer sitting on their eggs without 
a nest, or are very capricious about its formation, and will 
undo one day the work of the previous day. It is as well to 
leave them to their own devices till the young are hatched, and 
then they may have a little moss or cow-hair put in under 
them to make their bed softer. The hen generally lays four or 
five eggs, and sits thirteen or fourteen days, unless she or her 
mate have a bad habit of eating the eggs. They should be left 
in the nest, and not touched or interfered with at all, until a 
fortnight has elapsed after the laying of the last egg; then, if 
there are no signs of hatching, the eggs may be put into warm 
water; if they float the probability is that they are addled, and 
no young bird in the egg; if they sink, they may be replaced 
for a day or two, but if not hatched then, they should be taken 
away, or the hen will go on sitting uselessly (on dead birds 
probably). Sometimes a violent jar, caused by the shutting of 
a door near the cage, or the fall of the cage itself, will kill the 
birds in the eggs, or the mother bird will cause their death by 
allowing the eggs to get cold, if sitting irregularly. The egg 
food must be provided in readiness for the hatching; and it is 
necessary to watch the birds' proceedings at first, lest they 
should not feed the young ones; but very few canaries are un- 
natural enough to leave them unfed, although they do not like 
to be overlooked, and, if they are shy birds, will refuse to feed 
their little ones when they are in sight, so that one has to 
watch them without appearing to do so. If they feed them 
once they will continue to do so; if not, it will be needful to 
bring them up by hand, giving them the soft egg food with a 



DOMESTIC PETS. 



243 



quill, as with the nestlings before mentioned. A fresh nest 

must be given if the first nest becomes dirty, and the young 
birds carefully transferred to it with no more touching than is 
necessary. Some parent birds will resent any interference with 
their young, and will desert if they are meddled with; others 
will appear pleased at any notice bestowed on them, and will 
call our attention to their children with great exultation, chirp- 
ing and flying up to the nest, looking in, and then looking up 
in our faces as if to say, "Pray admire my lovely infants." 

If our birds are as familiar with us as they ought to be, 
they will exhibit their confidence in our sympathy and make 
their wants known to us in a very pleasant and expressive man- 
ner: if they want fresh food or water they will go down to the 
glasses and look into them, and then look up at us and chirp ; 
or if anything is amiss with their nestlings, they will attract our 
attention to the nest by signals that cannot be mistaken. One 
bird who wanted materials for her nest went about the cage 
picking up stalks, and another pulled the hair of any human 
head that came within her reach, to show what she wanted. 

The young birds will generally be out of the nest in about 
a fortnight during the day, returning to it at night for warmth. 
The mother bird will often begin to lay again about this time, 
and must have a fresh nest given her; and the young ones 
should be put into the nursery partition, so as to be fed through 
the wires (or in a small cage tied on to the larger one). They 
are apt to tease their mother, or to break the eggs, by [jump- 
ing in and out of the nest while she is sitting. We have some- 
times seen three or four little heads peeping out under her 
wings at once, and occasionally they will sit upon her, which in 
hot weather is almost too much to endure. The cock bird will 
feed them while she is sitting, and show them how to feed 
themselves. They must have a supply of egg food, crushed 
seed, and water in their compartment, and by degrees they will 
become independent of their parents. The first moulting tries 
the young birds' strength much, and till it is over they must 
have the same kind of food — egg food and crushed hemp-seed, 
in addition to their usual provisions. The hen should not be 
allowed to have more than two broods in the year, for her 
health's sake. If she goes on laying or sitting, the nest should 






244 DOMESTIC PETSL 

be taken away from her; and if that hint is not sufficient, she 

must be seperated from the cock till she begins to moult. The 
young birds should be within hearing of a good songster till 
after their moulting is over, when they will begin to warble 
feebly. If a nightingale or woodlark were to be had as music 
master, they would learn his notes; but we do not advise any 
one to keep these birds in confinement; they are not fitted for 
it by temperament or constitution, and their song is much more 
glad and sweet in their native woods. We had one canary who 
had learned several nightingale notes, and used to repeat the 
"jug, jug," continually; he would not sing in company with 
others, but taught the young birds very well from a little dis- 
tance. They will often learn best when their singing-master is 
out of sight. 

Cross-breeding has changed the canary of the present day 
from the original wild green bird of Teneriffe and the Canary 
Isles, and the varieties of shape and plumage are endless. 
There are canary societies and bird-shows now, and prizes are 
given for birds which excel in beauty or song. They are 
arranged in different divisions, and connoisseurs talk know- 
ingly of "jonques," "spangles," "mealy birds," "flaxen," 
" grey," " cinnamon," and " agate-colored " canaries, all of 
which have their distinguishing merits. Then there is the 
German canary, a small, compact, smooth bird, with a sweet 
but not very powerful voice; and the Belgian, its opposite in 
every respect, very long and slender, with exceedingly high 
shoulders and long legs, standing so uprightly on its perch as 
to give one the idea that it would fall backwards. The Nor- 
wich, or London fancy, prize canary, is a large square bird, 
with a massive head, deep orange in plumage all over the body, 
excepting the wings and tail, which should be black. This, at 
least, used to be the prize bird, but every season has its fashion 
in birds as well as in dress. To our mind it is the most beauti- 
ful of all the canaries when perfect, but it is very difficult to 
get one without white or green feathers, or irregularly marked; 
and a perfect bird will become imperfect after its first two 
moults. This is the case also with the lizard canary, which 
should be of a greenish bronze throughout, excepting the crown 
of the head, which is yellow in the gold-spangled, and white in 



DOMESTIC PETS. 245 

the silver-spangled lizard. The markings or spangles on the 
back are very uniform and regular, and there ought to be no 
yellow or white feathers in the wings or tail* but these gener- 
ally come when the bird is two years old. 

Virginian Nightingale.— The cardinal grosbeak, or Virginian 
nightingale, is a very beautiful red bird, with glossy black 
feathers about the head and neck. It is about eight inches 
long, of which the tail measures three. The song is varied 
and constant, and continues all through the year, except while 
it is moulting. The hen, which is of a reddish-brown color, is 
said to sing nearly as well as the cock; and perhaps that is the 
reason why these birds are better apart — the cock is jealous of 
his mate's rivalry of voice. Bird dealers have so often pro- 
nounced an unfavorable opinion of the cardinal grosbeak as 
regards its capabilities as a domestic pet, that we were sur- 
prised to hear of one which was so exceedingly tame that he 
would carry his favorite tit-bits to his mistress, and try to make 
her eat crushed hemp and caterpillars ! The bird is naturally 
very nervous and sensitive, so that it would fret and chafe in a 
shop surrounded by other birds, and its wild fluttering would 
give the idea that it could never be tamed; but patient kind- 
ness and gentleness will make it most attractive and pleasant 
pet. It should be fed chiefly on canary-seed, but should have 
a few hemp-seeds every day, and four or five meal-worms, or 
spiders, grubs, or caterpillars — some animal food, in short, to 
keep it well and vigorous. Spanish nuts, almonds, walnuts, and 
Indian corn, may be given as a treat; and a lump of basalt and 
a little piece of chalk should be put in the cage, and the bird 
should always be allowed a bath, and should be kept out of 
draughts. We give the directions which have been given to us 
by a lady whose Virginian nightingale has flourished under her 
judicious care many years. 

Parrots. — An article on domestic pets seems scarcely com- 
plete without some notice of parrots and parakeets; but 
there are so many varieties of this tribe of bird, and they 
come from so many parts of the world, that they require a book 
to themselves. We can only make a few suggestions for their 
treatment generally. Those which are natives of tropical cli- 
mates require warmth and abundance of farinaceous food and 



246 DOMESTIC PETS. 

fruit. Bread and milk should be the staple prison diet of par- 
rots (the bread should be soaked first in boiling water, squeezed 
as dry as possible, and then allowed to absorb as much fresh 
boiled milk as it will hold), adding Indian corn, biscuits, nuts, 
almonds (not bitter almonds), fruit (hard and soft), peach and 
plum kernels, cherries, grapes, pears, &c, grain and seeds for 
the larger birds; and the smaller kinds should have hemp, 
canary, and millet seeds, with fruit. All should have water for 
drinking and bathing within reach; and if the birds will not go 
into water, it is well to sprinkle a little warm water on them 
occasionally, and put them into the sunshine that they may 
plume themselves and clean their feathers. Great cleanliness 
is necessary to keep parrots in health, and their feet must be 
frequently washed if they get dirty and they will not bathe 
themselves. They are subject to diseased feet, and their 
perches should be covered with flannel, and the bottom of 
the cage should have a grating with a drawer underneath it 
always covered with sand. Lettuce or water-cress is given 
to these birds occasionally; and it is said that a chili-pod given 
from time to time is useful — when they are moulting they may 
have one or two cut up small once a week. If they have an 
attack of asthma they should have a few grains of cayenne 
pepper mixed with their bread and milk. Meat, sugar, and 
sweetmeats, are all unwholesome for parrots. 

Doves. — Doves are pretty, gentle, quiet birds, and easily 
tamed. The stock dove, ring dove, turtle dove, and collared 
turtle, are all kept in confinement, but they should all 
have a great deal of air. If kept in a wicker cage, it should be 
carried indoors at night (for, being natives of hot countries, 
they do not bear cold well), and taken out of doors early in the 
morning. The German peasants keep doves constantly in their 
cottages, from a fancy that they cure colds and rheumatism by 
taking the complaints themselves; and we believe it is true that 
doves are subject to the diseases which people shut up in the 
same room with them have, such as small-pox, swollen legs, 
and tumors in the feet; but this is probably due to the close, 
unwholesome condition and bad air of the room, which affects 
birds and human beings alike. They are best kept in a con- 
servatory or aviary, unless they are tame enough to fly in and 



DOMESTIC PETS. 



247 



out of the house, and return to their cages at night or when they 
want food, in which case they may be allowed their liberty. 
They must have plenty of fine, dry gravel and conveniences 
for bathing, and their food should be barley, wheat, peas, 
vetches, hemp, and canary seed. They like variety in it, and 
are fond of bread dry or soaked, the seeds of pines and firs, 
and linseed and myrtle berries. They ought to have bay salt 
mixed with old mortar or gravel. The salt is good for their 
throats, which often become diseased. Doves generally have 
two broods in the year, two young ones at a time, which they 
feed from their crops. We have been told that they are often 
unnatural enough to neglect this duty; but we do not think 
this is generally the case. The young are so dependent upon 
their parents, that they could hardly be reared by hand. They 
are not very interesting birds, but have great beauty of plumage, 
and no disagreeable characteristics to detract from their merits 
as domestic pets. 





TYPICAL PLYMOUTH ROCKS. 




POULTRY. 



Choice varieties of fowls add a pleasant feature to the farm 
premises. They engage the attention and sympathy of the 
juvenile farmers, and the time bestowed to the poultry yard 
keeps them from mischief, is an agreeable and salutary relief 
for toil and study, and elicits the taste, the judgment, and the 
kindlier feelings of humanity, which are to be matured in the 
future accomplished breeder. When properly managed, poul- 
try are a source of considerable profit, yielding more for the 
food they consume than any other stock, although their value 
is not often considered. The agricultural statistics of the 
United States, for 1839 — forty-four years ago — gave its value 
at over $12,000,000, and the current value of the poultry in the 
United States is now probably thirty millions of dollars, and 
its annual product in eggs and flesh is much greater. It is esti- 
mated by McQueen that the poultry of England exceeds 
$40,000,000, and yet McCulloch says she imports 60,000,000 
eggs annuaJSy from France (McQueen states it at near 70J000- 
000), and fiom other parts of the continent, 25,000,000; besides 
80,000,000 imported from Ireland. The people of the United 
States are much larger egg and poultry consumers than the 
English, and thus they are a considerable object of agricultural 
attention, and assume an important place among the other 
staples of the farmer. The following are the principal breeds: 

The Bantam. — The original of the Bantam is the Bankiva 
fowl. The small white, as also the colored Bantams,whose legs 
are heavily feathered, are sufficiently well-known to render a 
particular description unnecessary. Bantam-fanciers gener- 
ally prefer those which have clean, bright legs, without any 



250 POULTRY. 

vestige of feathers. A thoroughbred cock, in their judgment, 
should have a rose comb; a well feathered tail, but without the 
sickle feathers; a proud, lively carriage; and ought not to 
exceed a pound in weight. The nankeen-colored and the 
black are general favorites. 

These little creatures exhibit some peculiar habits and 
traits of disposition. Amongst others, the cocks are so fond 
of sucking the eggs laid by the hen that they will often drive 
her from the nest in order to "obtain them; they have even 
been known to attack her, tear open the ovarium, and devour 
its shell-less contents. To prevent this, first a hard-boiled, and 
then a marble egg, may be given them to fight with, taking care, 
at the same time, to prevent their access either to the hen or to 
any real eggs. Another strange propensity is a passion for 
sucking each other's blood, which is chiefly exhibited when 
they are moulting, when they have been known to peck each 
other naked, by pulling out the new feathers as they appear, 
and squeezing with their beaks the blood from the bulbs at the 
base. These fowls being subject to a great heat of the skin, 
its surface occasionally becomes hard and tightened; in which 
cases the hard roots of the feathers are drawn into a position 
more nearly at right-angles with the body than at ordinary 
times, and the skin and superficial muscles are thus subjected 
to an unusual degree of painful irritation. The disagreeable 
habit is, therefore, simply a provision of nature for their relief, 
which may be successfully accomplished by washing with warm 
water, and the subsequent application of pomatum to the skin. 

The Boltoil Gray. — These fowls — called, also, Dutch Every- 
day Layers, Pencilled Dutch fowl, Chittaprats, and, in Penn- 
sylvania, Creole fowl — were originally imported from Holland 
to Bolton, a town in Lancashire, England, whence they were 
named. 

They are small sized, short in the leg and plump in the 
make; color of the genuine kind, invariably pure white in the 
whole cappel of the neck; the body white, thickly spotted with 
black, sometimes running into a grizzle, with one or more black 
bars at the extremity of the tail. A good cock of this breed 
may weigh from four to four and a half pounds; and a hen 
from three to three and a half pounds. 



POULTRY. 351 

The superiority of a hen of this breed does not consist so 
much in rapid as in continued laying. She may not produce 
as many eggs in a month as some other kinds, but she will, it 
is claimed, lay more months in the year than, probably, any 
other variety. They are said to be very hardy; but their eggs. 
in the judgment of some, are rather watery and innutritious. 

The Cochin China. — The Cochin China fowl are said to 
have been presented to Queen Victoria from the East Indies. 
In order to promote their propagation, her majesty made pres- 
ents of them occasionally to such persons as she supposed 
likely to appreciate them. They differ very little in their 
qualities, habits and general appearance from the Shanghaes, 
to which they are undoubtedly nearly related. The egg is 
nearly the same size, shape, and color; both have an equal de- 
velopment of comb and wattles — the Cochins slightly differing 
from the Shanghaes, chiefly in being somewhat fuller and 
deeper in the breast, not quite so deep in the quarter, and be- 
ing usually smooth-legged, while the Shanghaes, generally, are 
more or less heavily feathered. The plumage is much the 
same in both cases; and the crow in both is equally sonorous 
and prolonged, differing considerably from that of the Great 
Malay. 

The cock has a large, upright, single, deeply-indented 
comb, very much resembling that of the Black Spanish, and, 
when in condition, of quite as brilliant a scarlet; like him, 
also, he has sometimes a very large white ear-hole on each 
cheek, which, if not an indispensible or even a required quali- 
fication, is, however, to be preferred, for beauty at least. The 
wattles are large, wide, and pendent. . The legs are of a pale 
flesh-color; some specimens have them yellow, which is objec- 
tionable. The feathers on the breast and sides are of a bright 
chestnut-brown; large and well-defined, giving a scaly or im- 
bricated appearance to those parts The hackle of the neck is 
of a light yellowish brown; the lower feathers being tipped 
with dark brown, so as to give a spotted appearance to the 
neck. The tail-feathers are black, and darkly iridescent; back, 
scarlet-orange; back-hackle, yellow-orange. It is, in short, 
altogether a flame-colored bird. Both sexes are lower in the 
leg than either the Black Spanish or the Malay. 



252 POULTRY. 

The hen approaches in her build more nearly to the Dork- 
ing than to any other breed, except that the tail is very small 
and proportionately depressed; it is smaller and more hori- 
zontal than in any other fowl. Her comb is of moderate size, 
almost small; she has, also, a small, white ear-hole. Her color- 
ing is flat, being composed of various shades of very light 
brown, with light yellow on the neck. Her appearance is 
quiet, and only attracts attention by its extreme neatness, 
cleanliness and compactness. 

The eggs average about two ounces each. They are smooth, 
of an oval shape, equally rounded at both ends, and of a rich 
buff color, nearly resembling those of the Silver Pheasant. The 
newly-hatched chickens appear very large in proportion to the 
size of the egg. They have light, flesh-colored bills, feet, and 
legs, and are thickly covered with down, of the hue commonly 
called "carroty." They are not less thrifty than any other 
chickens, and feather somewhat more uniformly than either 
the Black Spanish or the Malay. It is, however, most desir- 
able to hatch these — as other large-growing varieties — as early 
in the spring as possible even so soon as the end of February. 
A peculiarity in the cockerels is that they do not show even 
the rudiments of their tail-feathers till they are nearly full- 
grown. They increase so rapidly in other directions that 
there is no material to spare for the production of these dec- 
ora ive appendages. 

The merits of this breed are such that it may safely be 
recommended to people residing in the country. For the in- 
habitants of towns it is less desirable as the light tone of its 
plumage would show every mark of dirt and defilement; and 
the readiness with which they sit would be an inconvenience, 
rather than otherwise, in families with whom perpetual layers 
are most in requisition. Expense apart, they are equal or 
superior to any other fowl for the table; their flesh is delicate, 
white, tender, and well-flavored. 

The Cuckoo— The fowl so termed in Norfolk, England is, 
very probably, an old and distinct variety; although they are 
generally regarded as mere barn-door fowls — that is, the 
merely accidental result of promiscuous crossing. 

The came probably originated from its barred plumage, 



POULTRY. 253 

which resembles that on the breast of the Cuckoo. The pre- 
vailing color is a slaty blue, undulated, and softly shaded with 
white all over the body, forming bands of various/ widths. The 
comb is very small; irides, bright orange; feet and legs, light 
flesh color. The hens are of good size; the cocks are large, 
approaching the heaviest breeds in weight. The chickens, at 
two or three months old, exhibit the barred plumage even 
more perfectly than the full-grown birds. The eggs average 
about two ounces each, are white, and of porcelain smooth- 
ness. The newly-hatched chickens are gray, much resembling 
those of the Silver Polands except in the color of the feet and 
legs. 

This breed supplies an unfailing troop of good layers, good 
sitters, good mothers and good feeders; and is well worth pro- 
motion in the poultry-yard. 

The Dominique. — This seems to be a toierably distinct and 
permanent variety, about the size of the common dunghill 
fowl. Their combs are generally double — or rose, as it is 
sometimes called — and the wattles small. Their plumage pre- 
sents, all over, a sort of greenish appearance, from a peculiar 
arrangement of blue and white feathers, which is the chief 
characteristic of the variety; although, in some specimens, the 
plumage is invariably gray in both cock and hen. They are 
very hardy, healthy, excellent layers, and capital incubators. 
No fcvl have better stood the tests of mixing without deterior- 
ating than the pure Dominique. 

Their name is taken from the island of Dominica, from 
which they are reported to have been imported. Take all in 
all, they are one of the very best breeds of fowl which we have; 
and, although they do not come in to laying so young as the 
Spanish, they are far better sitters and nurses. 

The Dorking. — This has been termed the Capon Fowl of 
England. It forms the chief supply for the London market, 
and is distinguished by a white or flesh-colored smooth leg, 
armed with five, instead of four toes, on each foot. Its flesh 
is extremely delicate, especially after caponization; and it has 
the advantage over some other fowls of feeding rapidly, and 
growing to a very respectable size when properly managed. 

For those who wish to stock their poultry yards with fowls 



254 POULTRY. 

of the most desirable shape and size, clothed in rich and varie- 
gated plumage, and, not expecting perfection, are willing to 
overlook one or two other points, the Speckled Dorkings — so 
called from the town of Surrey, England, which brought them 
into modern repute — should be selected. The hens, in addi- 
tion to the gay colors, have a large, vertically flat comb, which, 
when they are in high color, adds very much to their brilliant 
appearance, particularly if seen in bright sunshine. The cocks 
are magnificent. The most gorgeous hues are lavished upon 
them, which their great size and peculiarly square-built form 
display to the greatest advantage. Their legs are short ; their 
breast broad ; there is but a small proportion of offal ; and the 
good, profitable flesh is abundant. The cocks may be brought 
to considerable weight, and the flavor and appearance of their 
meat are inferior to none. The eggs are produced in reason- 
able abundance; and, though not equal in size to those of 
Spanish hens, may fairly be called large. 

They are not everlasting layers, but at due or convenient 
intervals manifest the desire of sitting. In this respect, they are 
steady and good mothers when the little cn^s appear. 

With all these merits, however, they are not found to be a 
profitable breed, if kept thoroughbred an unmixed. Their 
powers seem to fail at an early age. They are al apt to pine 
away and die just at the pcint of r:..chinr- mr„tu"ity. They 
appear at a certain epoch to be seized with cont;uaiption — in 
the Speckled Dorkinjs the lung:' seem to fee the seat of the 
disease. The White Dorkings are. however, hardy and active 
birds, and are not sub ect co ecnsumptie-Q or any other disease. 
" As mothers, an objection to the Dcrkings is that they are 
too heavy and clumsy to rear the chickens oi any smaller and 
more delicate bird than themselves. 

In spite of these drawbacks the Dorkings are still in high 
favor; but a cross is found to be more profitable than the true 
breed. A glossy, energetic game-cock, with Dorking hens, 
produces chickens in size and beauty little inferior to their 
maternal parentage, and much more robust. The supernu- 
merary toe on each foot almost always disappears with the first 
cross; but it is a point which can very v/ell De spared without 
much disadvantage. In other respects the appearance of the 



POULTRY. 255 

newly hatched chickens is scarcely altered. The eggs of the 
Dorkings are large, pure white, very much rounded, and 
nearly equal in size at each end. The chickens are brown- 
ish-yellow, with a broad stripe down the middle of the back, 
and a narrow one on each side; feet and legs yellow. 

The Black Dorking. — The bodies of this variety are of 
a large size, with the usual proportions of the race, and of a jet 
black color. The neck-feathers of some of the cocks are 
tinged with a bright gold color, and those of some of the hens 
bear a silvery complexion. Their combs are usually double, 
and very short, though sometimes cupped, rose ? or single, with 
wattles small; and they are usually very red about tho head. 
Their tails are rather shorter and broader than most of the 
race, and they feather rather slowly. Their legs are short and 
black, with five toes on each foot, the bottom of which is some- 
times yellow. The two back toes are very distinct, starting 
from the foot seperately; and there is frequently a part of an 
extra toe between the two. 

This breed commence laying when very young, and are 
very thrifty layers during winter. Their eggs are of a large 
size, and hatch well; they are perfectly hardy, as their color 
indicates, and for the product are considered among the most 
valuable of the Dorking breed. 

The Game Fowl. — It is probable that these fowl, like other 
choice varieties, are natives of India. It is certain that in that 
country an original race of some fowl exists, at the present day, 
bearing in full perfection all the peculiar characteristics of the 
species. In India, as is well known, the natives are infected 
with a passion for cock-fighting. These fowls are carefully 
bred for this barbarous amusement, and the finest birds become 
articles of great value. 

The game fowl is one of the most gracefully formed and 
beautifully colored of any of our domestic breeds of poultry; 
and in its form, aspect, and that extraordinary courage which 
characterizes its natural disposition, exhibits all that either the 
naturalist or the sportsman would at once recognize as the 
purest type of high blood, embodying, in short, all the most 
indubitable characteristics of gallinaceous aristocracy. 

The flesh is beautifully white, as well as tender and delicate. 



2b6 POULTRY. 

The hens are excellent layers, and, although the eggs are under 
the average size, they are not to be surpassed in excellence of 
flavor. Such being the character of this variety of fowl, it 
would doubtless be much more extensively cultivated than it is, 
were it not for the difficulty attending the rearing of tho young; 
their pugnacity being such that a brood is scarcely feathered 
before at least one-half are killed or blinded by fighting. 

With proper care, however, most of the difficulties to be 
apprehended may be avoided. It is exceedingly desirable to 
parpetuate the race, for uses the most important and valuable. 
As a cross with other breeds, they are invaluable in improving 
the flavor of the flesh, which is an invariable consequence. The 
plumage of all fowl related to them is increased in brilliancy; 
and they are, moreover^, very prolific, and eggs are always 
enriched. 

The Wild Indian Game. — This variety was originally 
imported into this country from Calcutta. The hen has a long 
neck, like a wild goose; neither comb nor wattles; of a dark, 
glossy green color; very short or fan tail; lofty in carriage, 
trim built, and wild in general appearance; legs very large and 
long, spotted with blue; ordinary weight from four and a half 
to six pounds. As a layer, she is equal to any other fowls of 
the game variety. 

The cock stands as high as a large turkey, and weighs nine 
pounds and upward; the plumage is of a reddish cast, inter- 
spersed with spots of glossy green; comb very small; no wat- 
tles; and bill unliV* any other foul, except the hen. 

The Spanish Game. — This variety is called the English 
fowl by some writers. It is more slender in the body, the 
-neck, the bill, and the legs, than the other varieties, and the 
colors, particularly of the cock, are very bright and showy. 
The flesh is white, tender and delicate, and on this account 
marketable; the eggs are small and extremely delicate. The 
plumage is very beautiful — a clear, dark red, very bright, 
extending from the back to the extremities, while the breast is 
beautifully black. The upper convex side of the wing is equally 
red and black, and the whole of the tail-feathers white. The 
beak and legs are blackj the eyes resemble jet beads, very full 




POULTRY. 257 

and brilliant; and the whole contour of the head gives a most 
ferocious expression. 

The Spangled Hamburgh. — The Spangled Hamburgh fowl 
are divided into two varieties, the distinctive characteristics 
being slight, almost dependent upon color; these varieties are 
termed the Gold and Silver Spangled. 

The Golden Spangled is one of no ordinary beauty; it is 
well and very neatly made, has a good body, and no very great 
offal. On the crest, immediately above the beak, are two small, 
fleshy horns, resembling, to some extent, an abortive comb. 
Above the crest, and occupying the place of a comb, is a very 
large brown or yellow tuft, the feathers composing it darkening 
toward their extremities. Under the insertion of the lower 
mandible — or that portion of the neck corresponding to the 
chin in man — is a full, dark-colored tuft, somewhat resembling 
a beard. The wattles are very small; the comb, as in other 
high crested fowls, is very diminutive; the skin and flesh white. 
The hackles on tho neck are of a brilliant orange, or golden 
yellow; and the general ground color of the body is of the 
same hue, but somewhat darker. The thighs are of a dark 
brown or blackish shade, and the .".ogs and feet are of a bluish 
gray. 

In the Silver Spangled variety, the only perceptible differ- 
ence is that the ground color is a silvery white. The extremity 
and a portion of the extreme margin of each feather are black, 
presenting, when in a state of rest, the appearance of regular 
semicircular marks, or spangles — and hence the ' name, 
"Spangled Hamburgh," the varieties being termed gold Or 
silver, according to the prevailing color being bright yellow or 
silvery white. 

The eggs are of moderate size, but abundant; chickens 
easily reared. In mere excellence of flesh and as layers, they 
are inferior to the Dorking Spanish. They weigh from four 
and a half to five and a half pounds for the male, and three 
and a half for the female. The former stands some twenty 
inches in height, and the latter about eighteen inches. 

The Malay. — This majestic bird is found on the peninsula 

from which it derives its name, and, in the opinion of many, 

forms a connecting link between the wild and domesticated 
13 



258 POULTRY. 

races of fowls. Something very like them is, indeed, still to be 
found in the East. This native Indian bird — the Gigantic 
Cock, the Kulm Cock of Europeans — often stands considerably 
more than two feet from the crown of the head to the ground. 
The comb extends backward in a line with the eyes; it is thick, 
a little elevated, rounded upon the top, and has almost the 
appearance of having been cut off. The wattles of the under 
mandible are comparatively small, and the throat is bare. Pale, 
golden-reddish hackles ornament the head, neck, and npper 
part of the back, and some of these spring before the here part 
of the throat. The middle of the back and smaller wing- 
coverts are deep chestnut, the webs of the feathers disunited; 
pale reddish-yellow, long, drooping hackles cover the iump an$ 
base of the tail, which last is very ample, and entirely of a 
glossy green, of which color are the wing-coverts; the secon- 
daries and quills are pale reddish-yellow on the outer webs. ^31 
the under parts are deep glossy blackish-green, with Kg 7 i re= 
flections; the deep chestnut of the base of the feathers appears 
occasionally, and gives a mottled and interrupted appearance 
to those parts. 

The weight of the Malay in general, exceeds that of the 
Cochin- China-; the male weighing, when full-grown, from eleven 
to twelve, and even thirteen pounds, and the female from eight 
to ten pounds; height, from twenty-six to twenty-eight inches. 
They precent no striking uniformity of plumage, being of all 
shades, from black to white; the more common color of the 
female is a light reddish-yellow, with sometimes a faint tinge of 
dunnish-blue, especially in the tail. 

The cock is frequently of a yellowish-red color, with black 
intermingled in the breast, thighs and tail. He has a small, 
but thick comb, generally inclined to one side ; he should be 
snake-headed, and free from the slightest trace of top-knot ; the 
wattles should be extremely small, even in a young bird ; the legs 
are not feathered, as in the case of the Shanghais, but, like 
them and the Cochin-Chinas, his tail is small compared with 
his size. In the female there is scarcely any show of comb 
or wattles. Their legs are long and stout ; their flesh is very 
well flavored, when they have been properly fattened; and 
their eggs are so large and rich that two of them are equal to 
three of those of our ordinary fowls. 






POULTRY 259 

The Malay cock, in his perfection, is a remarkable courage- 
ous and strong bird. His beak is very thick, and he is a for- 
midable antagonist when offended. His crow is loud, harsh 
and prolonged, as in the case of the Cochin-China, but broken 
off abruptly at the termination; this is quite characteristic of 
the bird. 

The chickens are at first very strong, with yellow legs, and 
are thickly covered with light brown down; but, by the time 
they are one-third grown, the increase of their bodies has so far 
outstripped that of their feathers, that they are half naked about 
their back and shoulders, and extremely susceptible of cold and 
wet. The great secret of rearing them is to have them hatched 
very early indeed, so that they may have safely passed through 
this period of unclothed adolescence during the dry and sunny 
part of May and June, and reached nearly their full stature 
before the midsummer rains descend. 

The Plymouth Rock. — This name has been given to a very 
good breed of fowls, produced by crossing a China cock with a 
hen, a cross between the fawn-colored Dorking, the Great 
Malay, and the Wild Indian. 

At a little over a year old, the cocks stand from thirty-two 
to thirty-five inches high, and weigh about ten pounds; and the 
pullets from six and a half to seven pounds each. The latter 
commence laying when five months old, and prove themselves 
very superior layers. Their eggs are of a medium size, rich, 
and reddish-yellow in color. Their plumage is rich and varie- 
gated; the cocks usually red and speckled, and the pullets dark- 
ish brown. The have very fine flesh, and are fit for the table 
at an early age. The legs are very large, and usually blue or 
green, but occasionally yellow or white, generally having five 
toes upon each foot. Some have their legs feathered, but this 
is not usual. They have large and single combs and wattles, 
large cheeks, rather short tails, and small wings in proportion 
to their bodies. 

They are domestic and not so destructive to gardens aa 
smaller fowls. There is the same uniformity in size and gene' 
ral appearance, at the same age of the chickens, as in those of 
the pure bloods of primary races. 

The Poland. — The Poland, or Polish fowl, is quite unknown 



260 POULTRY. 

in the country which would seem to have suggested the name, 
which originated from some fancied resemblance Isctwee: 1 . its 
tufted crest and the sc^uare-spread:ng crown of the feathered 
caps worn by the Polish soldiers. 

The Polish are cluefiy suited for keeping in a small way, 
and in a clean and grassy place They are certainly not so fit 
for the farm-yard, as they become blinded and miserable with 
dirt. Care should be exercised to procure them genuine, since 
there is no breed of fowls more disfigured by mongrelism than 
this. They will, without any cross-breeding, occasionally pro- 
duce white stock that are very pretty, and equally good for lay- 
ing. If, however, an attempt is made to establish a separate 
breed of them, they become puny and weak. It is, therefore, 
better for those who wish for them to depend upon chance; 
every brood almost of the black produces one white chicken, 
as strong and as lively as the rest. 

These- fowls are excellent for the table, the flesh being 
white, tender and juicy; but they are quite unsuitable for be- 
ing reared in any numbers, or for general purposes, since they 
are so capricious in their growth, frequently remaining station- 
ary in this respect for a whole month, getting no larger; and 
this, too, when they are about a quarter or half grown — the 
time of their life when they are most liable to disease. As 
aviary birds, they are unrivalled among fowls. Their plumage 
often requires a close inspection to appreciate its elaborate 
beauty; the confinement and fretting seem not uncongenial to 
their health; and their plumage improves in attractiveness with 
almost every month. 

The great merit, however, of all the Polish fowls is that 
for three or four years they continue to grow and gain in size, 
hardiness and beauty — the male birds especially. This fact 
certainly points out a very wide deviation in constitution from 
these fowls which attain their full stature and perfect plumage 
in twelve or fifteen months. The similarity of coloring in the 
two sexes — almost a specific distinction of Polish and, perhaps, 
Spanish fowls — also separates them from those breeds, like the 
Game, in which the cocks and hens are remarkably dissimilar. 
Their edible qualities are as superior, compared with other 
fowls, as their outward apparel surpasses in elegance. They 



POULTRY. 261 

have also the reputation of being everlasting layers, which 
further fits them for keeping in small enclosures; but, in this 
respect, individual exceptions are ft encountered — as in the 
case of the Hamburghs — however truly the habit may be 
ascribed to the 

There are four known varieties of the Polish fowl, one of 
which appears to be lost. 

The Silver Pheasant.— This variety of fowl is remarkable 
for great brilliancy of plumage and size of tail. On a 
white ground, which is usually termed silvery, there is an 
abundance of black spots. The feathers on the under part of 
the head are much longer than the rest, and unite together in 
a tuft. They have a small, double comb, and the wattles are 
also comparatively small. A remarkable peculiarity of the cock 
is that there is a spot of blue color on the cheeks, and a range 
of feathers under the throat, which has the appearance of a 
collar. 

The hen is a smaller bird, with plumage similar to that of 
the cock, and at a little distance seems to be covered with 
scales. On the head is a topknot of very large size, which 
droops over it on every side. The Silver Pheasants are beau- 
tiful and showy birds, and chiefly valuable as ornamental 
appendages to the poultry yard. 

The Spanish. — This name is said to be a misnomer, as the» 
breed in question was originally brought by the Spaniards from 
the West Indies; and, although subsequently propagated in 
Spain, it has for some time been very difficult to procure good 
specim from that country. From Spain, they were taken in 
considerable numbers into Holland, where they have been care- 
fully bred for many years; and it is from that quarter that our 
best fowls of this variety come. 

The Spanish is a noble race of fowls, possessing many mer- 
its; of spirited and animated appearance; of considerable size; 
excellent for the table, both in whiteness of flesh and skin, and 
also in flavor; and laying exceedingly large eggs in consider- 
able numbers. Among birds of its own breed it is not defic- 
ient in courage; though it yields, without showing much fight, 
to those which have a dash of game blood in their veins. It is 
a general favorite in all large cities, for the additional advap- 



,i 



262 POULTRY. 

tage that no soil of smoke or dirt is apparent on it«5 pfumage. 

The thoroughbred birds should be entirely black, as far as 
feathers are concerned; and, when in high condition, display a 
greenish, metallic lustre. The combs of both cock and hen 
are exceedingly large, of a vivid and most brilliant scarlet; that 
of the hen droops over upon one side. Their most singular 
feature is a large, white patch, or ear-hole, on the cheek — in 
some specimens extending over a great part of the face — of a 
fleshy substance, similar to the wattle; it is small in the female, 
but large and very conspicuous in the male. This marked 
contrast of black, bright red, and white, makes the breed of 
the Spanish cock as handsome as that of any variety which we 
have; in the genuine breed the whole form is equally good. 

Spanish hens are celebrated as good layers, and produce 
very large, quite white eggs, of a peculiar shape, being very 
thick at both ends, and yet tapering off a little at each. They 
are, by no means, good mothers of families, even when they do 
sit — which they will not often condescend to do — proving very 
careless, and frequently trampling half their brood under foot. 
The inconveniences of this habit are, however, easily obviated 
by causing the eggs to be hatched by some more motherly hen. 

Fowls for Layers, — The layers must be of a breed that 
affords chickens easily reared, for success in the nursery depart- 
ment is all-important; they must be at the head of the list of 
prolific layers of fair-sized eggs. None but a non-sitting race 
will answer, for sitters make fully double the labtfr during 
half of the year; and the feathers must be light, because dark 
ones show badly when chickens are dressed. There is at pres- 
ent no breed that fulfills all these conditions so well as the 
White Leghorn. It may degenerate in time, as other races of 
fowls have done, by being bred for fancy instead of utility, but 
it possesses now more vigor than any other non-sitting breed. 
In breeding poultry, show and utility do not get on well 
together in the long run. To fanciers unquestionably belongs 
the credit of originating improved breeds, but afterwards, in 
fixing conventional points for the show-room, the stock is 
often ruined on our hands. To prevent the freezing of their 
combs and wattles during severe winters, they should be 
"dubbed" when the birds are two thirds grown. The opera- 



POULTRY. 268 

\ fori is not so painful as might appear, and, if shears are used, 
the blood-vessels are pinched, and but little blood will flow. 

The layers are relied upon to produce the principal part of 
the income, and, as they are chief in point of numbers, the 
detached stations where they are kept from the main part of 
the establishment, to which the breeding and sitting depart- 
ments are merely tributary. Most of the layers must be kept 
only until the age of from fifteen to twenty months, and then 
killed for sale, and their places supplied by wiiig pullets. 
This course is necessary, because the yield of e^gs' is greatest 
during the first laying season if the hens are os: 8to early-matur- 
ing breed, and are fed high, and stimulated to th^ utmost, as 
they must be, to secure the highest profit. W"ss fJkeugh. hens 
are still vigorous at two years, it will be Sound '.hat after a 
course of forcing to their greatest capacity through the first 
season, they cannot be made to lay profusely during the 
second. If we choose not to put on the full pressure of diet 
the first year, but to feed moderately high for two or three 
years, a fair yield of eggs would be afforded during each. 
But such a course would not pay so well as to keep pullets 
only, and maintain a forcing system constantly from the time 
they commence to lay until they stop, and then market them 
before they eat up the profits in the idleness of fall and winter. 
Pullets grow fast during the early part of their lives, and give 
a return in flesh for what they eat then. After they commence 
laying, their eggs are prompt dividends, and, besides, their 
bodies increase in weight until the age of a year or more. 
Young hens may be killed a fortnight after ceasing to lay, and 
if they have been skillfully fed, their flesh will prove excellent 
for the table as compared with fowls that are two or three years 
old. It is no wonder that there is little liking for the adult 
fowls the markets ordinarily afford, for they comprise many 
that are very old and unfit for food. But regular customers 
will soon approve fowls a year old, which have been supplied 
with the cleanest food, and brought to just the proper fatness, 
and delivered freshly killed and neatly dressed, and our experi- 
ence proves that the families upon the egg route will order 
all that the establishment has to dispose of. The high-pressure 
mode of feeding and turning off while yet young, is then the 



264 POULTRY. 

true policy. The point is, there is a certain consumption of 
food to enable an animal to keep alive. The ordinary vital 
operation, aside from laying or increase of size, demand force, 
obtained through food — which is money — and we should aim 
to support only such fowls as are all the while giving returns 
in either growth or eggs. The long period of moulting and 
recovering from its consequent exhaustion, costs, as does the 
maintenance of the vital fires during the cold of winter. It 
is a matter of quick balancing of profits and expenses with 
animals, which, like fowls, consume the value of their bodies in 
about six months. If it is urged that the stimulating diet and 
unnatural prolificness will subject the stock to disease, the 
reply is that the regimen is not continued more than six or 
eight months, and in that time evil effects will not ordinarily 
follow, for the birds are allowed freedom, sun, and air, and 
special provision is made for daily exercise. As none of the 
fowls to which this forcing system is applied leave descendants, 
no evil effects are accumulated and entailed upon the stock. 
The layers are from the eggs of fowls that have not been sub- 
jected to any such pressure, and during the period of their 
principal growth they have been given a nutritious but not 
especially stimulating food — like a colt at pasture. When they 
arrive at the laying age, they are kept like the horse — broken 
to work, and put to constant and severe labor, and fed as high 
as he will bear. 

Fowls and Sitters. — The sitters are of a breed chosen for 
persistence and regularity in incubation, fidelity to their chick- 
ens, and gentleness of disposition. The Light Brahmas can 
not be excelled for hatching and rearing. Pure bloods, how- 
ever, are not used; but to give less awkwardness and greater 
spread of wings, they are crossed with snow-white barn-yard 
fowls. The half-bloods resemble the Brahmas the most in 
form and other characteristics, and are almost uniformly docile. 
The half-blood Brahmas are extremely valuable for hatching 
and taking care of chickens. The results of the labors of 
poultry fanciers in producing two such breeds as the White 
Leghorns and Light Brahmas are enough to compensate for 
all the humbug practiced by many members of the guild. The 
sitters are net kept at detached stations like the layers, for 



POULTRY. 265 

several reasons. One is, they should all be near together, be- 
cause of the great amount of attendance necessary in connec- 
tion with hatching. Then the buildings should be large enough 
for the keeper to enter, in order to take care of the nests and 
chickens, but the size of the structure and the risk of jaring 
eggs will prevent moving. Nor can the system of indirect feed- 
ing and no yards be pursued, for the sitters should be fed at 
the attendant's feet, and tamed so as to submit quietly to the 
handling they receive while hatching and rearing. Their yards 
are sufficiently large to admit of exercise, and for the same 
reason their dry grain is buried in the ground or under straw. 
In very cold weather they are confined to their houses for 
warmth, and are given a stimulating diet to promote winter 
laying, not so much for the value of the eggs as to render it 
certain that there shall be a considerable number of birds ready 
to sit in February, and many more in March. The fowls 
chiefly depended upon for this, consist of the earliest pullets 
of the previous year, and also the old hens that have been em- 
ployed much of the time the preceeding summer in hatching 
two or three broods. The prevention of laying by hatching 
and rearing, causes birds thus occupied to lay earlier the »ext 
season. By a little management there is no difficulty in pro- 
curing plenty of offers to sit from February, to June. One 
half the sitting stock are two years old, and of the pullets of 
the sitting class raised yearly, some are hatched in February 
and March, and some in the first week of September, the bet- 
ter to secure sitting in various parts of the year. Except in 
winter, the sitters should not be fed with a view to encourage 
laying, but the aim should be to keep them on as moderate an 
allowance as possible, and not have them become poor. Their 
specific purpose is incubation, and they should be made to do 
as much of this as possible. By uniting broods, when a hen 
has hatched one nest full of eggs she may be given another 
immediately, and, if managed rightly, she will not be injured 
by sitting a double term. Each hen must hatch two broods 
per year at least, and some will hatch three. In this way the 
stock of 500 sitters will produce 10,000 chickens yearly, or an 
average of 20 apiece. 

Management Of Breeding Stock.— The proper management 



266 POULTRY. 

of the breeding stock is a very important part of the scheme, 
for there must annually be raised a large supply of pullets of 
the right quality. The profits of the establishment depend 
largely on the excellence of the fowls, and as they can be mul- 
tiplied very fast from a chosen few, no pains should be spared 
to secure the very best as a source from which to stock the 
whole farm. There is but one way to do this, and that is to 
keep individual birds in experimental yards in order to test 
their merits, recording the degree of excellence and the pedi- 
gree of the best with as much care as would be given to breed- 
ing cows or horses. 

We will suppose it is designed to produce a strain of Leg- 
horns that shall excel in prolificness, laying at an early age, 
and in other requisites. Procure a pullet from A and a cock- 
erel from B, and put them in yard No. i; purchase from C and 
D one bird from each, for yard No. 2, and so on, always taking 
care that no specimens are obtained from any locality where 
disease has prevailed. The smaller breeding yards are used as 
experimental yards, and to allow each cock a proper number 
of mates, two or more half-blood Brahmas pullets (whose eggs 
can be distinguished by their color) are added. Give each 
Leghorn a name or number, and enter in a book all details 
necessary for testing progress in improving the breed, such as 
weight, the age at which laying commenced, and the yield of 
eggs during the first year, at the expiration of which banish all 
but the best hens. The second year set the eggs of the reserved 
extra fowls, and keep the chickens produced by each pair sep- 
arate from all others. At the age of five or six months, cull 
out the most promising pullets and cockerels, and pair them 
for testing and recording pedigree and prolificness as before. 
By mating the produce of the original birds from A and B with 
the produce of those from C and D, finally the four stocks will 
become blended in one. Proceed in this manner a number of 
years, and when in the course of time a very extra prolific and 
vigorous hen has been found, which reached full size and com- 
menced laying early, and whose ancestry have excelled in the 
same respects for several generations, as shown by the book, 
then from her eggs cocks are raised from which to breed to 
replenish the main stock of layers at the itenirant stations. 



POULTRY. &67 

These cocks are put in the large breeding yards, each with a 
flock of ten hens, and no further accounts are kept of the pro- 
Jificness of individuals. 

After new stock is introduced to the experimental yards, as 
xnust be done yearly, care is taken for a series of years to avoid 
breeding akin, and as purchases will be made from fanciers, 
who to fix the conventional points have most likely bred close 
and impaired strength, crossing will immediately give a decided 
increase of vigor. Towards the last, however, when sufficient 
stamina has been gained, and the stations are to be stocked, 
close breeding is resorted to. This is to increase, the yield of 
eggs. 

In the breeding and experimental yards, the fowls must be 
fed and managed in every respect with the greatest care. Over- 
fattening is to be deprecated above all other things, and may 
be avoided by burying all the grain to make the birds exercise 
by scratching. The supply of grain should be moderate ; meat 
should be given very often in very small quantities, and the 
allowance of fresh vegetables should be ample. Free range 
would be very desirable for all the breeders, but, as it is im- 
practicable, scrupulous care must be taken to furnish artifi- 
cially natural conditions. Though the birds of the laying class 
in the experimental yards are rated according to their prolific- 
ness, yet the test is merely a relative one, for they are not forced 
to profuse laying by stimulating food. 

Food. — The food of hens may consist of different kinds or 
grain, either broken, ground or cooked; roots, and, especially, 
boiled potatoes, are nutritious and economical; green herbage, 
as clover and many of the grains; chickweed, lettuce, cabbage, 
etc. will supply them with much of their food, if fresh and 
tender. Though not absolutely essential to them, yet nothing 
contributes so much to their laying, as unsalted, animal food. 
This is a natural aliment, as is shown by the avidity with which 
they pounce on every fly, insect or earth worm which comes 
within their reach. It would not, of course, pay to supply them 
with valuable meat, but the blood and offal of the slaughter 
houses, refuse meat of all kinds, and, especially, the scraps or 
crackings to be had at the melter's shops, after soaking for a 
few hours in warm water, is one of the best and most economi- 



268 POULTRY. 

cal kinds of food. Such, with boiled-meal, is a very fattening 
food. Grain is at all times best for them when ground and 
cooked, as they will lay more, fat quicker, and eat much less 
when it is fed to them in this state; and it may be thus used 
unground, with the same advantage to the fowls, as if first 
crushed, as their digestive organs are certain to extract the 
whole nutriment. All grain is food for them, including millet, 
rice, the oleaginous seeds, as the sunflower, flax, hemp, etc. 
It is always better to afford them a variety of grain, where they 
can procure them at their option, and select as their appetite 
craves. 

They are also fond of milk, and indeed scarcely any edible 
escapes their notice. They carefully pick up the most of the 
waste garbage around the premises, and glean much of their 
subsistence from what would otherwise become offensive, and 
by their destruction of innumerable insects and worms, they 
render great assistance to the gardener. Of course their ever 
busy propensity for scratching is indiscriminately indulged 
just after the seeds have been planted and while the plants are 
young, which renders it necessary that they be confined in 
some close yard for a time; yet this should be as capacious as 
possible. Their food, if cooked, is better when given to them 
warm, not hot; and no more fed at a time than they will pick 
up clean. Besides their food, hens ought to be at all times 
abundantly supplied with clean water, egg or pounded oyster 
shells, old mortar, or slaked lime. If not allowed to run at 
large where they can help themselves, they must also be fur- 
nished with gravel to assist their digestion; and a box or bed 
of ashes, sand and dust, is equally essential to roll in for the 
purpose of ridding themselves of vermin. 

Hen House. — The hen house may be constructed in various 
ways to suit the wishes of the owner, and, when tastefully built, 
it is an ornament to the premises. It should be perfectly dry 
throughout, properly lighted with glass windows in the roof, if 
possible, and capable of being made tight and warm in winter, 
yet afford all the ventilation desirable at any season. In this, 
arrange the nest in boxes on the sides in such a manner as to 
humor the instinct of the hen for concealment when she resorts 
to them. When desirable to set the hen, these nests may be so 



POULTRY. 269 

placed as to shut out the others, yet open into another yard or 
beyond the enclosure, so that they can take an occasional 
stroll and help themselves to food, etc. This prevents other 
hens laying in their nests, while sitting, and may be easily 
managed, by having their boxes hung on the wall of the build- 
ing, with a movable door made to open on either side at pleas- 
ure. Hens will lay without a nest egg, but, when broken up, 
they ramble off and form new nests, if they are not confined. 
They will lay if kept from the cock, but it is doubtful if they 
will thus yield as many eggs. Hens disposed to sit at improper 
times, should be dismissed from the common yard, so as to be 
out of reach of the nests, and plentifully fed till weaned from 
this inclination. 

The Chickens. — The chickens require to be kept warm and 
dry for the first few days after hatching, and they may be fed 
with hard boiled eggs, crumbs of bread or pudding, and milk 
or water, and allowed to scratch in the gravel in front of the 
hen, which should be confined in a coop for the first three or 
four weeks, after which they may be turned loose, when they 
will thrive on anything the older ones eat. Many use them 
for the table when they are but a few weeks old; but they are 
much less valuable for this purpose till they have attained to 
near or quite full maturity. The white legs are preferred by 
some, from the whiteness and apparent delicacy of the meat; 
but the yellow and dark-legged are good. The color of the 
feathers does not seem to affect the quality of the flesh or their 
character for laying. If we consider the principle of the 
absorption and retention of heat, we should assume the white 
coat to be the best, as it is coolest in summer when exposed to 
the sun, and warmest in winter. Yet some of the white breeds 
are delicate and do not bear rough usage or exposure. 

The Turkey. — Unknown to the civilized world till the dis- 
covery of this Continent, it was found here both in its wild and 
domesticated state, and still occupies the whole range of the 
Western Hemisphere, though the wild turkey disappears as the 
country becomes settled. The wild is about the size of the 
domesticated bird. The color of the male is generally of a 
. greenish brown, approaching to black, and of a rich, change- 
able, metallic lustre. The hen is marked somewhat like the 



270 POULTRY. 

cock, but with duller hues. Domestication through successive 
generations has changed the color of their plumage, and pro- 
duced a variety of colors — black, buff, pure white, or speckled. 
They give evidence to the comparative recency of their domes- 
tication in the instinct which frequently impels the cock to 
brood and take care of the young. Nothing is more common 
than for the male bird to supply the place of the hen, when any 
accident befalls her, and bring up the family of young chicks 
with an equally instinctive regard for their helplessness and 
safety. The flesh of this bird, both wild and tame, is exceed- 
ingly delicate and palatable; and, though not possessing the 
high game flavor of some of the smaller wild fowl, and especi- 
ally of the aquatic, as the canvas-back duck, etc., it exceeds 
them in its digestibility and healthfulness. The turkey is use- 
ful principally for its flesh, as it seldom lays over a nest full of 
eggs at one clutch, when they brood on these and bring up 
their young. If full fed, and their first eggs are withdrawn 
from them, they frequently lay a second time. We have had 
them lay throughout the summer and into late autumn. 

Breeding. — Those intended for breeders should be com- 
pact, vigorous, and large, without being long-legged. They 
should be daily, yet lightly, fed, through the winter, on grain 
and roots, and some animal food is always acceptable and 
beneficial to them. They are small-eaters, and without caution 
will soon get too fat. One vigorous male will suffice for a 
flock of ten or twelve hens, and a single connection is sufficient 
for each. They begin to lay on approach of warm weather, 
laying once a day, or every other day, till they have completed 
their clutch, which, in the young or indifferently fed, may be 
ten or twelve, and, in the older ones, sometimes reaches twenty. 
The hen is sly in secreting its nest, but usually selects a dry, 
well protected place. She is an inveterate sitter, and carefully 
hatches most of her eggs. The young may be allowed to 
remain for twenty-four hours without eating, then fed with hard 
boiled eggs, made fine, or crumbs of wheat bread. Boiled 
milk, curds, buttermilk, etc., are food for them. As they get 
older, oats or barley meal is suitable, but Indian meal, uncooked, 
is hurtful to them when quite young. They are very tender, 
and will bear neither cold nor wet, and it is of course necessary 



POULTRY. 271 

to confine the old one for the first few weeks. When able to 
shift for themselves, they may wander over the fields at pleas- 
ure; and, from their great fondness for insects, they will rid the 
meadows from innumerable grassnoppers, etc., which often do 
incalculable damage to the farmer. Early chickens are suffic- 
iently grown to fatten the latter part of autumn or the begin- 
ning of winter, which is easily done on any of the grains or 
boiled roots. The grain is better for cooking. They require a 
higher roosting place than hens, and are impatient of too close 
confinement, preferring the ridge of a barn, or a lofty tree, to 
the circumscribed limits of the ordinary poultry house. When 
rightly managed and fed, turkeys are subject to few maladies, 
and even these careful attention will soon remove. 

The Peacock and Guinea Hen. — The peacock is undoubt- 
edly the most showy of the feathered race. It is a native of 
the southern part of Asia, and is still found wild in the islands 
of Java and Ceylon, and some parts of the interior of Africa. 
They are an ornament to the farm premises, and are useful in 
destroying reptiles, insects and garbage, but they are quarrel- 
some in the poultry yard and destructive in the garden. Their 
flesh is coarse and dark, and they are worthless as layers. The 
brilliant silvery green, and their ever-varying colors give place 
to an entire white in one of the varieties. 

The Guinea hen is a native of Africa and the southern part 
of Asia, where it abounds in its wild state. Most of them are 
beautifully and uniformly speckled, but occasionally they are 
white on the breast, like the Pintados of the West India 
Islands, and some are entirely white. They are unceasingly 
garrulous, and their excessively pugnacious character renders 
them uncomfortable inmates with the other poultry. Their 
flesh, though high colored, is delicate and palatable, but, like 
the peacock, they are indifferent layers. Both are natives of a 
warm climate, and the young are tender and rather difficult to 
rear. Neither of these birds is a general favorite, and we omit 
further notice of them. 

The Goose. — There are many varieties of the goose. Main 
enumerates twenty-two, most of which are wild; and the tame 
are again variously subdivided. 1 he common white and gray 
are the most numerous and profitable. The white Bremen is 



272 POULTRY. 

much larger, often weighing over twenty pounds net. It is of 
a beautiful snowy plumage, is domestic, and reared without 
difficulty, though not as prolific and hardy as the former. The 
China goose is smaller than the gray, and one of the most 
beautiful of the family, possessing much of the gracefulness 
and general appearance of the swan. There are three varieties 
of these in the United States; the small brown, with black bill 
and legs; the larger gray, with black bill and reddish legs; and 
the pure white, with orange bill and legs. It is prolific and 
tolerably hardy, but has thus far not been a successful rival 
with the first. The Guinea or African goose is the largest of 
the species. It is a majestic and graceful bird, and very 
ornamental to water scenery. Several other varieties are 
domesticated in the United States. The finest goslings we 
have ever reared or seen were a cross from the China gander 
and common gray goose. They are very hardy and easy to 
raise. 

Breeding. — Geese pair frequently at one year old, and 
rear their young; but with some kinds, especially of the wild, 
this is deferred till two and sometimes three. They require a 
warm, dry place for their nests, and when undisturbed they 
will sit steadily, and if their eggs have not been previously 
chilled or addled, they will generally hatch them all, if kept on 
the nest. To insure this, it is sometimes necessary to with- 
draw the first hatched, to prevent the old ones wandering 
before all are out. They should be kept in a warm, sheltered 
place till two or three weeks old, if the weather be cold or 
unsettled. The best food for the goslings is barley or oats, or 
Indian meal boiled, and bread. Milk is also good for them. 
They require green food, and are fond of lettuce, young clover, 
and fresh, tender grass, and after a few weeks, if they have a 
free range on this, they will forage for themselves. Geese are 
not a profitable bird to raise, except in places where they can 
procure their own subsistence, or at least during the greater 
part of the year. This they are enabled to do wherever there 
are extensive commons of unpastured lands, or where there are 
streams or ponds, lakes or marshes, with shoal, sedgy banks. 
In these they will live and fatten throughout the year, if 
unobstructed by ice and snow. 



POULTRY. 273 

They may be fattened on all kinds of grain and edible 
roots, but it is more economical to give them their food 
cooked. The well-fattened gosling affords one of the most 
savory dishes for the table. Geese live to a great age. They 
have been known to exceed forty years. When allowed a free 
range on good food and clean water, they will seldom get 
diseased. When well fed, they yield nearly a pound of good 
feathers in a season, at three or four pluckings, and the largest 
varieties even exceed this. But plucking is a cruel business, 
and should not be done closely, and only between the months 
of May and October. Goslings intended for eating should 
not be plucked at all until fatted and killed 

Ducks — Are more hardy and independent of attention than 
the goose, and they are generally the most profitable. They 
are omnivorous, and greedily devour everything which will 
afford them nourishment, though they seldom forage on the 
grass. They are peculiarly carnivorous, and devour all kinds 
of meat, putrid or fresh, and are especially fond of fish and such 
insects, worms, etc., as they can find imbeded in the mud or 
elsewhere. They will often distencL their crop with young 
frogs, almost to the ordinary size of their bodies. Their indis- 
criminate appetites often render them unfit for the table, 
unless fattened out of the reach of garbage and offensive 
matters. An English admiral used to resort to well fattened 
rats for his fresh meat, when at sea, and justified] his taste by 
saying they were more cleanly feeders than ducks, which were 
general favorites. 

The varieties of ducks are almost innumerable. Main 
describes thirty-one, and some naturalists number many more. 
The most profitable for domestic use, aside from the common 
one, are the Black Cayuga, the Aylesbury, and Rouen, all 
being of much larger size, and richer and more delicate flavor 
of flesh. They lay profusely in the spring, when well fed, often 
producing forty or fifty eggs, and sometimes a greater number, 
if kept from sitting. They are much larger than those of the 
hen, and equally rich and nourishing, but less delicate. They 
are careless in their habits, and generally drop their eggs 
wherever they happen to be through the night, whether in the 
water, the road, or farm-yard; and, as might be expected from 

18 



2T4 POULTRY. 

siich prodigality of character, they are indifferent sitters and 
nurses. The ducklings are better reared by sitting the eggs 
under a sedate, experienced hen, as the longer time necessary 
for hatching requires patience in the foster-mother to develop 
the young chicks. They should be confined for a few days, 
and away from the water. At first they may be fed with bread, 
or pudding made from boiled oat barley, or Indian meal; and 
they soon acquire strength and enterprise enough to shift for 
themselves, if afterwards supplied with pond or river water. 
They are fit for the table when fully grown, and well fattened 
on clean grain. This is more economically accomplished by 
feeding it cooked. We omit further notice of other varieties, 
and of the swan, brant, pigeons, etc., as not profitable for 
general rearing, and only suited to ornamental grounds. 

DISEASES AND REMEDIES. 

Most of the diseasog to which fowls are subject are the 
results of errors in diet or management, and should have been 
prevented, or may be removed by a change, and the adoption 
of a suitable regimen. When an individual is attacked, it 
should be forthwith removed, to prevent the contamination of 
the rest of the flock. Nature, who proves a guardian to fowls 
in health, will nurse them in their weakness, and act as a most 
efficient physician to the sick; and the aim of all medical treat- 
ment should be to follow the indications which Nature holds 
out, and assist in the effort which she constantly makes for the 
restoration of health. 

Asthma. — This common disease seems to differ sufficiently 
in its characteristics to warrant a distinction into two species. 
In one it appears to be caused by an obstruction of the air- 
cells, by an accumulation of phlegm, which interferes with the 
exercise of their functions. The fowl labors for breath, in 
consequence of not being able to take in the usual quantity 
of air at an inspiration. The capacity of the lungs is thereby 
diminished, the lining membrane of the windpipe become* 
thickened, and its minute branches are more or less affected. 

Another variety of asthma is induced by fright, or undue 
excitement. It is sometimes produced by chasing fowls to 
catch them, by seizing them suddenly, or by their fighting 
with each other. In these cases, a blood-vessel is often 
ruptured, and sometimes one or more of the air-cells. The 
symptoms are short breathing; opening of the beak often, and 
for quite a time; heaving and panting of the chest; and, in 



POULTRY. 275 

case of a rupture of a blood-vessel, a drop of blood appearing 
on the beak. 

Treatment. — Confirmed asthma is difficult to cure. For 
the disease in its incipient state, the fowl should be kept warm, 
and treated with repeated doses of hippo-powder and sulphur, 
mixed with butter, with the addition of a small quantity of 
cayenne pepper. 

Costiveness. — The existence of this disorder will become 
apparent by observing the unsuccessful attempts of the fowl to 
relieve itself. It frequently results from continued feeding on 
dry diet, without access to green vegetables. Indeed, without 
the use of these, or some substitute — such as mashed potatoes 
— costiveness is certain to ensue. The want of a sufficient 
supply of good water will also occasion the disease, on account 
of that peculiar structure of the fowl, which renders them un- 
able to void their urine, except in connection with the fasces of 
solid food, and through the same channel. 

Treatment. — Soaked bread, with warm skimmed milk, is 
a mild remedial agent, and will usually suffice. Boiled carrot? 
or cabbage are more efficient. A meal of earth-worms is some- 
times advisable; and hot potatoes, mixed with bacon-fat, are 
said to be excellent. Castor-oil and burned butter will remove 
the most obstinate cases; though a clyster of oil, in addition, 
»4ay sometimes be required in order to effect a cure. 

Diarrhoea. — There are times when fowls dung more losely 
than at others, especially when they have been fed on green or 
soft food; but this may occur without the presence of disease. 
Should this state, however, deteriorate into a confirmed and con- 
tinued laxity, immediate attention is required to guard against 
fatal effects. The causes of diarrhoea are dampness, undue 
acidity in the bowels, or the presence of irritating matter there. 

Symptoms. — The symptoms are lassitude and emaciation; 
and, in very severe cases, the voiding of calcareous matter, 
white, streaked with yellow. This resembles the yolk of a stale 
egg, and clings to the feathers near the vent. It becomes acrid, 
from the presence of ammonia, and causes inflammation, which 
speedily extends throughout the intestines. 

Treatment. — This, of course, depends upon the cause. 
If the disease is brought on by a diet of green or soft food, the 
food must be changed, and water sparingly given; if it arises 
from undue acidity, chalk mixed with meal is advantageous, 
but rice-flour boluses are most reliable. Alum water, of mod- 
erate strength, is also beneficial. In cases of bloody flux, boiled 
rice and milk, given warm with a little magnesia, or chalk, may 
be successfully used. 



276 POULTRY. 

Fever. — The most decided species of fever to which fowls 
are subject, occurs at the period of hatching, when the animal 
heat is often so increased as to be perceptible to the touch. A 
state of fever may also be observed when they are about to lay. 
This is, generally, of small consequence, when the birds are 
otherwise healthy; but it is of moment, if any other disorder is 
present, since, in such case, the original malady will be aggra- 
vated. Fighting also frequently occasions fever, which some- 
times proves fatal. 

Symptoms. — The symptoms are an increased circulation of 
the blood; excessive heat; and restlessness 

Treatment. — Light food and change of air; and, if neces- 
sary, aperient medicine, such as castor oil, with a little burned 
butter. 

Indigestion. — Cases of indigestion among fowls are com- 
mon, and deserve attention according to the causes from which 
they proceed. A change of food will often produce crop-sick- 
ness, as it is called, when the fowl takes but little food, and 
suddenly loses flesh. Such disease is of little consequence, 
and shortly disappears. When it requires attention at all, all 
the symptoms will be removed by giving their diet in a warm 
state. 

Sometimes, however, a fit of indigestion threatens severe 
consequences, especially if long continued. Every effort should 
be made to ascertain the cause, and the remedy must be gov- 
erned by the circumstances of the case. 

Symptoms. — The symptoms are heaviness, moping, keeping 
away from the nest, and want of appetite. 

Treatment. — Lessen the quantity of food, and oblige the 
fowl to exercise in an open walk. Give some powdered cayenne 
and gentian, mixed with the usual food. Iron-rust, mixed with 
soft food, or diffused in water, is an excellent tonic, and is in- 
dicated when there is atrophy, or diminution of the flesh. It 
may be combined with oats or grain. Milk-warm ale has also 
a good effect, when added to the diet of diseased fowls. 

Lice. — The whole feathered tribe seem to be peculiarly lia- 
ble to be infested with lice; and there have been instances 
when fowls have been so covered in this loathsome manner 
that the natural color of the feathers has been undistinguish- 
able. The presence of virmin is not only annoying to poultry, 
but materially interferes with their growth, and prevents their 
fattening. They are, indeed, the greatest drawback to the suc- 
cess and pleasure of the poultry fanciers; and nothing but un- 
remitting vigilance will exterminate them, and keep them exter* 
minated. 



POULTRY. 277 

Treatment. — To attain this, whitewash frequently all the 
parts adjacent to the roosting-pole, take the poles down and 
run them slowly through a fire made ^f wocd shavings, dry 
weeds, or other light waste combustibles. Flour of sulphur, 
placed in a vessel, and set on fire in a close poultry house, will 
penetrate every crevice, and effectually exterminate the vermin. 
When a hen comes off with her brood, the old nest should be 
cleaned out, and a new one placed; and dry tobacco leaves, 
rubbed to a powder between the hands, and mixed with the 
hay of the nest, will add much to the health of the poultry. 

Flour of sulphur may also be mixed with Indian meal and 
water, and fed in the proportion of one pound of sulphur to 
two dozen fowls, in two parcels, two days apart. Almost any 
kind of grease, or unctuous matter, is also certain death to the 
vermin of domestic poultry. In the case of very young chick- 
ens, it should only be used in a warm, sunny day, when they 
should be put into a coop with their mother, the coop darkened 
for an hour or two, and everything made quiet, that they may 
secure a good rest and nap after the fatigue occasioned by 
greasing them. They should be handled with great care, and 
greased thoroughly; the hen, also. After resting, they may be 
permitted to come out and bask in the sun; and in a few days 
they will look sprightly enough. 

To guard against vermin, however, it should not be for- 
gotten that cleanliness is of vital importance, and there must 
always be plenty of slacked lime, dry ashes, and sand, easy of 
access to the fowls, in which they can roll and dust themselves. 

Loss of Feathers. — This disease, common to confined fowls, 
should not be confounded with the natural process of moulting. 
In this diseased state, no new feathers come to replace the old, 
but the fowl is left bald and naked; a sort of roughness also 
appears on the skin; there is a falling off in appetite, as well as 
moping and inactivity. 

Treatment. — As this affection is, in all probability, con- 
stitutional rather than local, external remedies may not always 
prove sufficient. Stimulants, however, applied externally, will 
serve to assist the operation of whatever medicine maybe given. 
Sulphur may be thus applied, mixed with lard. Sulphur and 
cayenne, in the proportion of one quarter each, mixed with 
fresh butter, is good to be given internally, and will act as a 
powerful alterative. The diet should be changed; and cleanli- 
ness and fresh air are indispensable. 

Pip. — This disorder, known also as the gapes, is the most 
common ailment of poultry and all domestic birds. It is es- 
pecially the disease of young fowls, and is most prevalent in 
the hottest months being not only troublesome but frequently 
fatal 



278 POULTRY. 

Symptoms. — The common symptoms of this malady are the 
thickened state of the membrane of the tongue, particularly 
toward the tip, the breathing is impeded, and the beak is fre- 
quently held open, as if the creature were gasping for breath; 
the beak becomes yellow at its base; and the feathers on the 
head appear ruffled and disordered; the tongue is very dry; the 
appetite is not always impaired; but yet the fowl cannot eat, 
probably on account of the difficulty which the act involves, 
and sits in a corner, pining in solitude. 

Treatment. — Most recommend the immediate removal of 
the thickened membrane, which can be effected by anointing 
the part with butter or fresh cream. If necessary, the scab 
may be pricked with a needle. It will also be found beneficial 
to use a pill, composed of equal parts of scraped garlic and 
horse-radish, with as much cayenne pepper as will outweigh a 
grain of wheat; to be mixed with fresh butter, and given every 
morning; the fowl to be kept warm. 

If the disease is in an advanced state, shown by the chick- 
en's holding up its head and gaping for want of breath, the 
fowl should be thrown on its back, and while the neck is held 
straight, the bill should be opened, and a quill inserted into the 
windpipe, with a little turpentine. This being round, will 
loosen and destroy a number of small, red worms, some of 
which will be drawn up by the feather, and others will be 
coughed up by the chicken. The operation should be repeated 
the following day, if the gaping continues. If it ceases, the 
cure is effected. 

It is stated, also, that the disease has been entirely prevented 
by mixing a small quantity of spirits of turpentine with the 

food of fowls, from five to ten drops to a pint of meal, to be 
made into a dough. Another specific recommended is to keep 
iron standing in vinegar, and put a little of the liquid in the 
food every few days. 

Roup. — This disease is caused mainly by cold and moisture, 
but it is often ascribed to improper feeding and want of clean- 
liness and exercise. It affects fowls of all ages, and is either 
acute or chronic; sometimes commencing suddenly, on expos- 
ure; at others gradually, as the consequence of neglected colds, 
or damp weather or lodging. Chronic roup has been known to 
extend through two years. 

Symptoms.— The most prominent symptoms are difficult 
and noisy breathing and gaping, terminating in a rattling m 
the throat; the head swells, and is feverish; the eyes are swol- 
len, and the eyelids appear livid; the sight decays, and some- 
times total blindness ensues; there are discharges from the 
nostrils ar»d mouth, at fitst thin and limpid, afterwards thick, 



POULTRY. 279 

purulent and fetid. In this stage, which resembles the glan- 
ders in horses, the disease becomes infectious. As secondary 
symptoms, it may be noticed that the appetite fails, except for 
drink; the crop feels hard; the feathers are staring, ruffled, and 
withov.t the gloss that appears in health; the fowl mopes by 
itself, tnd seems to suffer much pain. 

Treatment. — The fowls should be kept warm, and have 
plenty of water and scalded bran, or other light food. When 
chronic, change of food and air is advisable. The ordinary 
remedies — such as salt dissolved in water — are inefficacious. 
A solution of sulphate of zinc, as an eye-water, is a valuable 
cleansing application. Rue-pills, and a decoction of rue, as a 
tonic, have been administered with apparent benefit. 

The following is recommended: of powdered gentian and 
Jamaica ginger, each one part; Epsom salts, one and a oalf 
parts; and flour of sulphur, one part; to be made up with 
butter, and given every morning. 

The following method of treatment is practiced by some 
of the most successful poulterers in the country: As soon as 
discovered, if in warm weather, remove the infected fowls to 
some well-ventilated apartment or yard; if in winter, to some 
warm place, then give a dessert-spoonful of castor-oil; wash 
their heads with warm Castile-soap suds, and let them remain 
till next morning fasting. Scald for them Indian-meal add- 
ing two and a half ounces of Epsom salts for ten hens, or in 
proportion for a less or larger number; give it warm, and 
repeat the dose in a day or two, if they do not recover. 

Perhaps, however, the best mode of dealing with roup 
and all putrid affections is as follows: Take of finely pulver- 
ized fresh-burnt charcoal, and of new yeast, each three parts; 
of pulverized sulphur, two parts; of flour, one part; of water, 
a sufficient quantity; mix well, and make into two doses, of 
the size of a hazel nut, and give one three times a day. 
Cleanliness is no less necessary than warmth; and it will 
sometimes be desirable to bathe the eyes and nostrils with 
warm milk and water, or suds, as convenient. 

Wounds and Sores. — Fowls are exposed to wounds from 
many sources. In their frequent encounters with each other, 
they often result; the poultry house is beseiged by enemies at 
night, and, in spite of all precaution, rats, weasels and other 
animals will assault the occupants of the roost, or nest, to their 
damage. These wounds, if neglected, often degenerate into 
painful and dangerous ulcers. 

When such injuries occur, cleanliness is the first step 
towards a cure. The wound should be cleansed from all 
foreign matter, washed with tepid milk and water, and excluded 
as far as possible from the air. The fowl should be removed 



280 



POULTRY. 



from its companions, which, in such cases, seldom or ncrei 
.mow any sympathy, but on the contary, are always ready to 
assault the invalid, and aggravate the injury. Should the 
wound not heal, but ulcerate, it may be bathed with alum-water. 
The ointment of creosote is said to be effectual, even when 
the ulcer exhibits a fungous character, or proud flesh is present. 
Ulcers may also be kept clean, if dressed with a little lard, or 
washed with a weak solution of sugar of lead. If they are 
indolent, they may be touched with blue-stone. 

When severe fractures occur to the limbs of fowls, the best 
course, undoubtedly, to persue — unless they are very valuable 
— is to kill them at once, as an act of humanity. When, how- 
ever, it is deemed worth while to preserve them, splints may 
be used, when practicable. Great cleanliness must be 
observed; the diet should be reduced; and every precaution 
taken against the inflammation, which is sure to supervene. 
When it is established, cooling lotions — such as warm milk 
and water — may be applied. 





MEDICINAL. 



The Management of the Sick-Room. — The arrangements 
of the sick-room require attention, and demand special notice. 
They influence very much the result, and may, indeed, where 
faulty, baffle the efforts of medicine. We would lay down the 
following brief rules: — 

i. Fresh Air. — Secure a full and free change of air with- 
out chilling the patient. According to the state of the weather, 
have the door, or window, or both open. In the summer time 
the upper part of the window of a sick-room should always be 
opened; in cold weather, a fire burning acts as suction-pump 
to draw off the vitiated air of the room, at -the same time that 
it diffuses sufficient warmth. To secure purity of air, as well 
as the quiet so necessary for a sick-room, no more persons than 
are required should be in the room. A crowd of people leads 
to gossiping, and often exciting talk. 

2. The temperature of a sick-room should, if possible, be 
maintained as near to 60 ° as possible. In the winter season, 
unless great care is taken, it will easily fall below this. At 
other times of the year it is more readily overheated. 

In some affections of the respiratory organs there is a great 
advantage in cold weather in keeping the air of the room warm 
and moist by the steam from the spout of a kettle. If a piece 
of tin or lead pipe be attached to the spout, the steam can be 
brought further into the room. This plan has the additional 
advantage of securing a tolerably even temperature in the 
room — an important point in the treatment of croup and other 
inflammatory affections of the chest. 

3. Light.— -The light should be so adjusted as to be 
moderate, according to the sensibility of the patient. Some 



282 MEDICINAL. 

persons when ill like a dark room. This is more particularly 
the case when the head is at all affected. In delirium, a dark- 
ened chamber has often a very soothing effect. The bed 
should not be so placed that the strong lights fall upon the 
face of the patient. During convalescence, the bright and 
cheerful light of the sun exerts a beneficial restorative 
influence. 

4. Cleanliness. — A well-known proverb expresses the 
importance of cleanliness; and, if the proverb apply anywhere, it 
applies still more forcibly in the sick-room. A common error 
is that in eruptive fevers the clothes should not be changed for 
fear of exposure of the surface of the body to a chill. Nothing 
can be more mistaken; the body linen should not only be 
changed daily, but the bed-linen should also be changed with 
advantage at least every two or three days, and removed from 
the room as quickly as possible. The body should also be 
washed daily. Children suffering from a scarlet fever, measles, 
or typhoid, derive comfort and benefit from their bodies being 
sponged all over daily with warm vinegar and water. 

Lotions. — These may be applied simply by frequently 
washing the surface with them. In scarlet fever the sponging 
with warm vinegar and water allays the irritation and heat of 
the surface, and promotes the healthy functions of the skin. A 
more efficient method for an evaporating lotion is to soak one 
or two layers of soft linen or lint, wet with the lotion, and lay- 
ing them on the surface, wet them again when they become dry. 
The drying takes place through the heat of the surface, the 
more rapidly, the higher the temperature of the part. An 
evaporating lotion is readily made by a wineglassfal Of gin or 
whisky in a pint of cold water. 

Sedative Lotions. — When the lotion is intended to act 
more by its sedative than by its evaporating effects, it will 
suffice to lay lint or linen soaked in it upon the surface, and 
cover it with oil silk or guttapercha tissue. Spongio-piline is a 
convenient medium for the application of sedative or other 
than evaporative lotions. Care, however, must be taken that 
it is not put on too wet, or the lotion will drain out and wet the 
clothing or bedding. A sedative lotion is made by boiling half 






MEDICINAL. 283 

a pound of fresh hemlock-leaves, or naif a dozen poppy heads, 
in three pints of water down to a pint and a half. 

Ice. — A greater degree of cold is sometimes required to 
be applied to a small part of the surface, as in the case of a 
rupture or in fever when the headache and heat of the head are 
extreme. A convenient mode of reducing the temperature of a 
part by ice is to pound some small and enclose it in a bladder, 
taking care first to squeeze out the superabundant air, and then 
tie the neck of the bladder very tightly. The water in the 
bladder will continue at the temperature of the ice until every 
particle of it is melted. 

Fomentations. — Fomentations are of a very great value 
in the relief of pain of internal organs and of large joints when 
inflamed. They are part of the nurse's duties which require 
promptitude and judgment. If a large joint — a knee, for 
instance — be inflamed, much benefit is derived from swathing 
the joint in flannels wrung out of hot water, and wrapping these 
in dry outer flannels. Fomentations likewise are of great use 
in inflammation of the chest or of the bowels. The hot, wet 
flannels should be put on quickly, and changed quickly, about 
every five minutes, so as to avoid exposure to the cold air. 
They may be continued half an hour or more if they do not 
fatigue the patient. 

Wet Sheet. — In fevers with great neat of skin, wrapping 
the whole body in a wet sheet, and then enclosing in a blanket 
for an hour or more, will sometimes cause the skin to break 
into a profuse perspiration, reduce the heat of the skin, and 
moderate the pulse. In some affections of the kidney,] 
attended with dryness of the skin and absence of perspiration, j 
the wet sheet has been known to restore the action of the skin , 
and relieve the kidneys. The wet sheet is, however, so much 1 
a part of the hydropathic treatment of disease that it can 
scarcely be safely or properly used apart from the medical 
supervision with all the means and appliances of a hydropathic 
establishment. 

Poulticing. — So common a thing as a poultice might seem j 
beneath notice in such a treatise as the present, but some hints j 
may be given thereon to the nurse. Thus, in making- a linseed- 
meal poultice, most persons pour hot water upon the meal. To 



284 MEDICINAL. 

make a smooth, firm poultice, however, the reverse should be 
the plan — viz., to stir the meal into the water- A poultice 
should not be too heavy especially if to be applied on the 
abdomen. It need not be changed oftener than when it gets 
cold. There are various kinds of poultices — e. g , mustard, 
yeast, carrot, bran, charcoal, bread. 

Bread poultice may be used alone, for most small purposes, 
such as a boil. It will be the basis also of the charcoal and 
carrot poultices. 

Charcoal, bruised or powdered coarsely, and mixed with 
bread poultice, is useful for absorbing offensive odors. 

Scraped carrot, mixed with bread poultice, is used to stimu- 
late a sluggish and sloughing or mortifying surface. 

Yeast, mixed with bread-crumb, forms also a good poultice 
for sluggish and offensive ulcers. 

Mustard poultice, or sinapism, may be made several ways; 
sometimes equal parts of bread-crumb or flour, and mustard 
are used, but the best way is to make a tolerably thick paste 
of mustard and water, spread it on stiff brown paper, and cover 
with thin muslin. This poultice is stronger, but requires to be 
kept on the part a less time than the others. When 
removed, the surface is easily cleansed by a soft towel. A 
handy way of making a mustard plaster i s to soak a slice of 
bread in water, and sprikle it with flour of mustard. A ready 
and efficient sinapism is afforded by Rigollot's "mustard 
leaves." 

Blistering Plaster and Liquid. — Blistering a surface 
with cantharides may be effected in two ways; one, by the 
application of the ordinary blister plaster, the other by paint- 
ing with blistering liquid. When the plaster is used it is usual 
to leave it on the skin of an adult for eight or ten hours; when, 
if it has raised a blister, this is to be cut, and the fluid having 
run out, the surface is then to be covered with a piece of fine 
dry wadding or carded wool. This dressing being left on for 
two or three days, the skin will be found healed underneath. 
This plan is simple and less painful than dressing with lard or 
spermaceti ointment. If desirable to "keep the blister open" 
—- L e., its surface discharging — it may be dressed with savine 
eintment spread on lint or linen, 



MEDICINAL. 285 

In the cases of young children, the blister plaster should not 
be allowed to remain longer than two hours, after which period 
a muslin bagful of warm bread-and-water poultice should be 
laid on, and the blister will form under that. After the blister 
has been cut, the surface can either be dressed with continua- 
tion of the poultice, or with dry wool. A warm poultice is a 
most suitable dressing for blisters, when applied for quinsy or 
other sore throat. 

Blistering Liquid. — As this is intended to be swift in its 
actions, it should be of the strongest kind that can be purchased. 
After it has been painted on for a few minutes the skin will be 
seen to turn white; that is a sign that enough has been painted 
on. In the course of half an hour blisters will begin to form. 
These can be dressed as above directed. This mode of raising 
a blister has many advantages over the plastering. It is speedy 
in its operation, it is cleaner, and it is more manageable for 
children and persons in a state of delerium. For cases of apo- 
plexy or paralysis, where a speedy impression upon the nervous 
centres is desirable, the blistering liquid possesses great advan- 
tage, as it does also in acute rheumatism, in which affection the 
pain is often quickly relieved by having a strip of the liquid 
painted round the limb near to the swollen joint. 

Counter-irritation acts by derivation or diversion of a mor- 
bid action from one part by setting up another equally or more 
powerful influence on the nerves of another part. It places in 
our hands a very powerful means of acting upon diseases of 
internal organs that are not absolutely close to the part acted 
upon, as well as when applied near to the seat of the malady. 
An example of the latter is afforded by the influence of bella- 
donna or aconite on rheumatic or neuralgic pains; of the 
former, in the beneficial effects produced on the brain by a 
blister plaster applied to the nape of the neck. 

Counter-Irritants and External Stimulants. — The 
following are the chief agents of this class mentioned: — 

Blistering plaster. 

Tincture, liniment, and ointment of iodine. 

Compound camphor liniment and turpentine liniment. 

Soap liniment (opodeldoc). 

Nitrate of silver 



286 MEDICINAL. 

Basilicon ointment. 
Citrine ointment. 
Belladonna liniment. 

The Nurse. — It is not always possible to meet with a well 
trained nurse, even in a large town, while for those who are 
likely to consult the pages of this book it may be an impossi- 
bility to meet with a professional nurse of any kind. The hints 
here given are therefore addressed to those who may be com- 
pelled to be both nurse and doctor, and who in either capacity 
may be beyond the reach of professional or other aid. Cheer- 
fulness and forgetfulness of self are prime requisites in the 
character of the women who undertakes the duties of a nurse. 
Illness makes people selfish, therefore it is the more necessary 
that there should be unselfishness to cope with this weakness. 

A nurse should secure quietness in the sick room, and 
should permit only cheerful conversation — if possible, not too 
much of that. In acute affections of the brain this is a point 
of the highest importance. In haemoptysis, or "spitting of 
blood," strict silence must be enjoined upon the patient, who 
should make use of a pencil for questions or answers. The 
nurse should carefully avoid the narration of doleful tales of 
fearful cases she has seen or heard of, as these depress the 
patient and interfere with recovery. 

Directions for the management of the patient, given by 
those who are responsible for the well-doing of each case 
should be strictly attended to by the nurse. In all severe 
cases of illness, such as fevers, inflammations, accidents, etc., 
a written memorandum should be kept of each time of taking 
food, wine, medicine, etc., with their precise quantities. With- 
out a check of this kind it is very easy to give too much or 
two little, or to transgress directions as to time. It need hardly 
be remarked that sobriety is absolutely indispensable in a 
nurse. This requisite is at once admitted; but many persons 
do, through false kindness' their very best to banish temper- 
ance from the sick room. They will leave wine and spirit 
bottles open in the room, and expect that they shall not be 
touched. Until nurses in general have gained a much higher 
character than is at present the case, it is safer not to put 
temptation in the way. 



MEDICINAL. 287 

Caution in Use of Stimulants. — Another point m refer- 
ence to this same subject may be mentioned. When stimulants 
are advisable for illness, great care must be taken not only that 
they are judiciously administered as to present quantity, but 
that they are discontinued with regard to future consequences, 
when no longer wanted for immediate requirements. 

Lying-in Room. — Labor. — We assume for the purposes o. 
the present work that there is no medical attendant at hand. 
This state of things may and often does occur even in popu- 
lous towns; it is, therefore, more likely to happen in new and 
distant places beyond the reach of medical aid. The posses- 
sion, therefore, of the knowledge what to do on such occasions 
may be the source of the greatest possible comfort in an emer- 
gency, and possibly the means of saving life. Influenced by 
this conviction, then, we shall endeavor to lay down such sim- 
ple rules as shall be found applicable by any one who may find 
him or herself by imperious necessity called upon to act the 
midwife's part. Happily, in healthy, well-made women, the 
process of childbirth rarely terminates otherwise than safely. 

The principal point during the progress of labor is to keer» 
the patient cheerful, and, as far as may be, divert ner an:e»- 
tion from the lapse of time. A light, but not starvation, diet 
should be taken. A first labor is generally far longer in dura- 
tion than subsequent ones. Indeed, second and third and sub- 
sequent labors are often finished in a few minutes by two or 
three pains. Twenty-four hours is not too long a time for a 
natural first labor. It is not requisite here to describe all the 
stages of labor; suffice it to say, that there are certain promon- 
itory symptoms, such as increased irritability of the bladder, a 
sinking of the weight and bulk of the abdomen, and the occur- 
rence of pains "such as have not been felt before," as they are 
usually graphically and not incorrectly described. At this 
period it is as well to administer a dose of castor-oil if the 
bowels have not acted freely previously. 

The "promonitory" pains, which at first are somewhat irreg- 
ular in their character, become sooner or later changed into 
more severe and more irregular" periodical pains, at intervals 
varying from five to ten minutes between, and are at some un- 
certain time followed by a gush of "the waters." These pains 



Ll 






288 MEDICINAL. 

wLich occur generally in the back at first, gradually become 
longer, and are seated more to the front in the abdomen, and 
are more expulsive in character. Moderate allowance of stim. 
ulants should be administered from time to time. A straining 
effort to expel becomes unavoidable. The woman should then 
lie on her left side on a bed properly guarded by a piece of 
waterproof. A pillow placed between the knees will facilitate 
the passage of the head into the world. The feet should be 
fixed against the bedpost or footboard, to which, above the 
feet, a rope or jack-towel has been affixed, so that with each 
pain of the expulsive sort the patient may be enabled to bear 
down the more effectively^ This towel or rope should not be 
used before expelling pains set in 

Management of the New-born Infant. — As soon as 
the child is born, it should be turned with its face upward, so 
that it shall be insured breathing room. Care must be taken 
to pass the navel-string over the child's head, if it be twisted 
round its neck, otherwise it may be strangled thereby. It 
should then be separated from its mother by first tying and 
then dividing the navel-string. The first step, the tying, may 
de done by any strong ligature. Usually half a dozen brown 
threads are used to tie the cord with, but a piece of twine or 
tape will do just as well. The cord or navel-string must be 
tied firmly in two places — first, about two inches from the 
child, and then two inches further, and then by a sharp pair of 
scissors divided between the ligatures. 

In the preceding remarks it has been assumed that medical 
attendanc - is not to be had. If it be expected in a reasonable 
time, and the child is born before the arrival of the medical 
man, all that will be required will be to secure its being able to 
breathe freely. An infant may be left alone for an hour or two 
under these circumstances without its incurring harm. 

When the child has been expelled and separated, firm pres* 
sure should be made on the lower part of the abdomen, the 
hand grasping the large tumor of the emptied womb. Steady 
pressure being made firmly in a direction downward and back- 
ward, the tumor will be felt to decrease in size, and at the 
same time the after-birth will be expelled. When ^this has 
taken place the labor is finished, and the best thing for the 



MEDICINAL. 2St 

woman is then to let her alone to rest for a couple of hours. 
She should on no account be suffered to rise up quickly in bed, 
as by, reason of the recent diminution of the contents of the 
abdomen, she is peculiarly liable to faint on sitting up. If the 
labor has been long and exhaustive, a moderate stimulant, such 
as a glass of wine, or of brandy and water, should be given. 

At the end of two hours after the labor, the patient's 
clothes, etc., should be changed, and a broad binder or band- 
age pinned round the abdomen, not tightly, but only so as to 
give the feeling of a comfortable degree of support. 

Treatment of the Lying-in Woman. — It has been too 
much the custom to regard a woman after childbirth as an in- 
valid, or to speak of her as a patient, whereas she is the very 
reverse. She is in the most natural and healthy of all condi- 
tions for a woman, but one requiring more than common care 
to prevent her falling into diseases, to which she is prone from 
the great strain that has been put upon her constitution for 
months past, capped with the climax of hours of pain and 
strong muscular effort. Under the influence of erroneous 
views, lying-in women have been kept for days together upon 
gruel, tea, etc. This treatment has, however, of late years 
given way to a plan more consistent with common sense, and 
better calculated to restore the nervous energies after the 
fatigues of perhaps many weary hours of labor, superadded to 
months of gestation. » 

Diet. — Light, but nutritious, food should be given. Beef- 
tea, milk, eggs, etc., may be freely allowed the first day, and 
meat on the second day, with wine or malt liquor, according to 
previous usage, and with strict moderation. After months of 
gestation and hours of suffering, with absolute loss of bulk, the 
constitution certainly requires restoration rather than depletion 
or further pulling down. It should be borne in mind, moreover, 
that a source of weakness is going on for many days after- 
wards. 

By a strange perversity the contradictory practice of nearly 
absolute starvation was formerly followed too often by that of 
inordinate stimulation. It was deemed necessary for the due 
performance of maternal functions that a large quantity of 
strong beer should be taken daily. The quantities consumed 

19 



290 MEDICINAL. 

ander this plea would have seemed incredible to persons of 
moderate habits. The writer has the still heavier charge to 
lay against the practice — that it has made many women 
drunkards. 

It may be laid down as a rule that healthy women require 
no larger quantities of stimulants when nursing than at other 
times. What serves the purpose, of health before childbirth 
will serve them afterwards. The secretion of milk, instead of 
being promoted, is retarded by over stimulation. A pint or a 
pint and a half of malt liquor daily, is ample allowance for any 
healthy mother. Those who have been water-drinkers before 
they were mothers, may safely remain so afterwards. 

Rest and Nursing. — Next to care in diet, is care as to 
rest and quietness. There is no need for absolute silence or 
total darkness in the room. The cheerful conversation of the 
nearest relatives may be allowed without fear of ill effects. 
The room should be kept light and airy. Ventilation should be 
carefully attended to. There is a popular notion — erroneous, 
like a good many old nurses' fables — that the eyes of lying-in 
women are especially intolerant of light. Such is not a fact. 
The reading of light literature is peculiarly grateful and suit- 
able for this time. The recumbent posture must be preserved 
for at least a week. After that time, if all be going on well, 
sitting up in an easy-chair may be permitted. Walking about 
or standing had better not be attempted earlier than ten or 
twelve days, as the womb has not yet returned to its normal 
size, and is consequently heavy and prone to lay the foundation 
of future maladies if left to its own gravity too early. 

Suckling. — The period at which milk is secreted varies in 
almost every case. Some women will have milk in the breast 
for weeks before the child is born, others will not have it for 
several days after. In most instances it comes quietly into the 
breasts on the second or third day. In some there is a slight 
degree of febrile disturbance attending its appearance. This, 
however, quickly subsides under a small reduction of diet — • 
the low-diet system is not to be put in force on account of this 
trifling disturbance. The infant should be put to the breast 
about every two hours — not less frequently, lest the breast get 



MEDICINAL. 291 

painfully distended; not more frequently, lest it disturb the 
rest of both itself and mother by its much importunity. 

Sore Nipples.— The nursing of the first child is often 
attended with extremely sore nipples, so that it becomes an 
excruciatingly painful proceeding, calling for all the firmness 
of a woman and all the strongest feelings of the mother to 
enable her to persevere. Perseverance, however, is the great 
remedy for sore nipples. 

A host of drugs and many other means have been recom- 
mended for the cure of this distressing affection, but we know 
of none that in our experience we have known really deserving 
of confidence. The only serviceable means next to, or in aid 
of, the perseverance we have spoken of, is the use of Wansbor- 
row's metal 'shields. These being worn in the intervals of 
suckling, keep the nipples soft and promote the healing of their 
cracks. 

To Give Medicine to an Infant. — Put a portion of the 
dose in a teaspoon, then, holding the child on the lap in a half- 
sitting and half-lying posture, place the spoon on the tongue 
and slide it gently back towards the throat; when it has 
reached quite to the root of the tongue, tilt it up and hold it 
still on the tongue until the child swallows. Repeat the rest 
of the dose in the same way. It is better to give the dose in 
portions, so that there is less risk of choking by too large a 
dose 

diseases and remedies. 

Ague. — Ague is a periodic fever, occurring in three distinct 
stages, with an interval of distinct remission, or freedom, from 
fever — viz., a cold stage, a hot stage, and a sweating stage, 
occupying about eight hours. The attack recurs with more or 
less regularity, giving rise to types according to the period of 
their recurrence, i. The quotidian, recurring once in twenty- 
four hours. 2. Tertian, every forty-eight hours. 3. Quartan, 
every seventy-two hours. 

The quotidian ague is the most common form; an inter- 
change, or irregularity of the periods of return, is sometimes 
seen, giving to it modifications which greatly obscure the type 
of the disease. The term, "intermittent fever," which is given 
to ague, is derived from the entire remission which occurs 
between the paroxysms, leaving the patient apparently in his 
ordinary health. 



292 MEDICINAL. 

Symptoms. — The disease is ushered in, for a few days, by 
indefinite malaise, such as slight feverishness, and a feeling of 
fatigue and debility. On these premonitory symptoms there 
follows somewhat suddenly the cold stage, in which the patient 
becomes cold, pale, and "goosey," the teeth chatter. Severe 
headache occurs, the pulse is rapid, and breathing hurried. 
The cold stage continues for a period varying up to two or 
three hours, and then gives way to the hot stage, in which the 
headache becomes more severe; the whole surface of the body 
is flushed, hot, and dry, the features appear swollen, the eyes 
bloodshot, the pulse full and strong; thirst is very urgent, 
appetite lost, the urine scanty and high-colored. The febrile 
excitement is so great that sometimes delerium occurs in this 
stage, and may mislead as to the real nature of the fever. The 
hot stage may last for six hours or upwards, and is then 
replaced by the sweating stage, in which relief comes by, at 
first, a moisture appearing on the forehead and face, gradually 
increasing until it breaks out all over the body as a profuse 
sweat, followed by a general relief of symptoms, and, with the 
exception of a feeling of exhaustion, the patient is apparently 
quite well, until another paroxysm occurs, which it is very 
prone to do. A degree of sallowness of the complexion, how- 
ever, usually remains, sometimes even after the entire subsid- 
ence of the disease. The preceding set of symptoms constitute 
an "attack" of intermittent fever, or ague, but their subsidence, 
unfortunately, is not always the complete restoration of health. 
The subjects of ague, in marshy districts, may almost always 
be recognized by their muddy or sallow complexion, indicative 
of a "cachectic" or impaired state of general health. The 
extent to which this depreciation of health and vigor may reach 
depends upon the length of the duration of the fever and the 
severity of the paroxysms. When these are severe and long- 
continued, serious congestion and disorders of the internal 
organs is very prone to follow. The spleen is more especially 
obnoxious to this congested condition, with consequent enlarge- 
ment known as "ague cake." The enlarged condition of the 
organ may even be perceptible to pressure beneath the lower 
border of the ribs on the left side. 

Causes.— The cause of ague is usually marsh miasm. It is 
not absolutely essential that a marsh shall yield the poison, as 
we occasionally meet with the disease in London and other 
places, in the presence of malaria arising from the decomposi- 
tion of dead vegetable matter. It was formerly very common 
in London, but has disappeared from that city since sanitary 
regulations have very much cleared away the vegetable refuse 
which in bygone times disfigured the streets. 

Treatment.— The treatment of ague resolves itself into 



MEDICINAL. 293 

two principal indications, of getting rid of the cause— i. e., the 
malarious poison in the blood, and diminishing the violence of 
the paroxysms. The cold stage is that part of the paroxysm 
which, more particularly in hot climates, most urgently requires 
aid, and is that from which injurious effects may follow on the 
congestion of internal organs. As soon as the shivering 
begins the patient should go to bed, be well covered with 
blankets, and have hot bottles to the feet, bags of hot bran, 
salt, etc., together with a free supply of hot drinks. If these 
means do not succeed in arresting the rigor, an emetic of mus- 
tard and hot water will often be effectual to bring on the sweat- 
ing stage. As this comes on, the quantity of clothing should 
be gradually decreased, taking care to avoid a sudden chill. 
The sweating may be promoted if it do not come on too freely; 
it may be promoted by the administration of stimulants, such 
as brandy and arrowroot, or wine and egg, etc. After the 
paroxysm has passed off, an aperient dose is often of service. 

In order to ensure the full benefit of medical treatment, a 
change from the malarious to a purer air is desirable, and 
should not be omitted where it can be put in practice. The 
medical treatment in the remission, or the endeavor to elimin- 
ate the poison, must be put in practice in the intervals. For 
this purpose the most valuable remedy is the Peruvian bark, or 
quinine, the essentially active principle of bark. 

In this country it is seldom necessary to give the quinine 
in so large or so continued doses as in some tropical climates, 
where it is essential not only as a curative, but also as a pre- 
ventive means. Two, three, or five grains, taken every morn- 
ing, has been found of the greatest service in keeping Europeans 
free, not only from ague, but also from other endemic fevers 
of the African continent. 

In the ordinary treatment of ague in temperate climates it 
is usual to give two or three grains of quinine three times, or 
one large dose of five to ten grains given as nearly as possible 
before the expected access of the paroxysm. This will often 
anticipate or cut short the paroxysm. 

The quinine may be given simply mixed in water, or added 
to a glass of sherry wine. It is usual, but entirely superflous, 
to render the sulphate of quinine solvent by the addition of a 
few drops of diluted sulphuric acid. 

Apoplexy. — Symptoms. — The Greek etymology of this word, 
— viz.: to strike or knock down with violence — expresses the 
leading symptoms of the attack. In the severest form of the 
disease, the patient is suddenly struck down, deprived of volun- 
tary motion, sensation, and intellect, it may be, with convul- 
sions of one side of the body, and lies as one in deep sleep 
from which he cannot be roused, with snoring, puffing breath- 



\ 



294 MEDICINAL. 

ing, dilated pupils, a flushed face, and full, slow pulse, and, 
possibly, with vomiting. 

In another class of cases, the patient does not, perhaps, 
fall suddenly to the ground, but turns pale, and feels faint, or 
experiences an attack of giddiness or headache, with sickness 
or vomiting, and occasionally with slight convulsive movements, 
the pupils natural, or but slightly dilated, the pulse weak and 
irregular. The pain in the head may be attended with loss of 
memory, loss of power in the limbs, passing into entire apoplexy 
or paralysis. The symptoms will vary in their intensity, and 
in their duration — the attack may last for a few minutes only, 
or be extended over several days, and at last the patient sinks 
into a state of coma, or profound stupor, from which he never 
recovers. 

Treatment. — At the time of the fit the first thing to be 
done is to loosen all articles of clothing about the neck and 
chest, so as to favor the return of the blood from the head — to 
place the patient in a reclining posture, not fiat down. If the 
pulse be feeble or irregular, a small quantity of brandy and 
water may be given; cautiously, on account of difficulty of 
swallowing. Mustard plasters, or rags soaked in turpentine, 
should be applied to the calves of the legs. If the person be 
of a full habit, and have a strong, slow pulse, a strong purge 
should be given as soon as possible. One drop of croton oil 
placed on the tongue, is at once convenient to give and effec- 
tive in action. Should this fail to act, in two or three hours a 
clyster of castor oil and turpentine should be administered. 

Bleeding in any form is seldom required in these cases, and 
is never safe in non-professional hands. It is very easy, under 
circumstances of alarm and excitement, to do too much. The 
after effects of an apoplectic seizure require very judicious 
management; and here, again, we would warn the reader against 
expecting too much from mere medical means, and to be care- 
ful not by over-anxiety for stimulation, to accelerate a danger- 
ous reaction. As the insensibility passes off, and the patient 
wakes up to what is passing around him (supposing that he 
has been unconscious), great care must be taken to secure 
quietness and rest. As little conversation as possible should be 
carried on; the room should be well aired and moderately 
lighted. Complete rest of body and mind are essential to 
recovery. As the limbs recover their muscular power, they 
must be carefully and only gradually brought into use. Caution 
must also be exercised in the administration of food of a light 
and nutritious character. The muscles of the throat having 
probably suffered in the attack, will require time to resume 
their power, and hence there will be danger of choking if care 
be not taken. The food must be light and easy of digestion, 



MEDICINAL. 2V5 

since the functions of the stomach will also be impaired, and, 
if too solid or indigestible food be given, it may cause vomit- 
ing and serious disturbance. Should the pulse be feeble, a little 
brandy or wine may be allowed to be taken with light food. 
All this precaution is required to guard against inflammation 
of the brain, which may follow on reaction indicated by 
increased rapidity of pulse, heat of skin, thirst, and headache. 
Should the bowels be costive, some simple saline purgative, 
such as Epsom salts or Seidlitz powder, should be taken. If 
there be persistent headache, blistering behind the neck will 
relieve it. If these means fail to subdue the inflammatory and 
febrile symptoms, the case must be treated as one of inflam- 
mation of the brain. Paralysis, or permanent loss of power on 
one side of the body, or of some muscles or portion of the sur- 
face on one side, is not unfrequently left after an apoplectic 
attack. (See Paralysis.) 

Asthma. — This is sometimes called " Spasmodic Bronchi- 
tis," and consists of a sudden attack o£ tightness across the 
chest, with difficulty of breathing, of a most urgent and dis- 
tressing kind — so much so, that in the course of less than an 
hour immediate suffocation seems to be impending. The 
patient is fighting and struggling for vev life, gasping for air, 
speech nearly impracticable, the eye protruding, the counten- 
ance anxious, flushed, or of a blue discoloration. The skin 
becomes bedewed with cold clammy sweat, the hands and fingers 
blue; altogether forming as distressing a scene as can be 
witnessed, but happily not one that is often fatal, as it passes 
off generally with a restoration of the bronchial secretion which 
has been suspended. This favorable occurrence varies in its 
advent. The paroxysm, however, seldom lasts more than a few 
hours at the utmost, but the bronchitis which follows lasts 
sometimes for several days. The attack is liable to return at 
uncertain periods. 

Treatment. — The treatment of this affection is guided by 
its essentially spasmodic character during the paroxysm. Hot 
and stimulating fomentations should be applied to the chest, 
and sedative and nauseant medicines given at short intervals, 
thus: — 

Ipecacuanha wine, 2 drachms; paregoric, 2 drachms; tinc- 
ture of henbane, 4 drachms. Add water to eight ounces, and 
give one tablespoonful every hour, until the breathing is easier. 
Or an emetic of mustard and water may be given previously. 

As the paroxysm subsides, give the following: Compound 
tincture of cardamoms, 1 drachm; chloric ether, 20 minims; 
foetid spirits of ammonia, 30 minims; water, a wineglassful; 
every four hours for some hours and then either treat as for 






296, MEDICINAL. 

acute bronchitis, if cough, etc., continue, or withdraw all 
medicine, and leave nature to complete the cure. 

Biliousness, Biliiary Derangements, Congestion of the Liver. 

— These are known under various names, confounding together 
stomach and liver disorder; thus we have them spoken of as 

"sick-headache," "bowel complaint," "jaundice," etc. 

Symptoms. — They may be classed under the two heads of 
" diminished secretion," and " excessive secretion." The latter 
produces English cholera, or diarrhoea, of a troublesome char- 
acter, attended with griping pains, and more or less sickness, 
the attack being of an acute character. 

A diminution in the secretion of bile generally manifests 
itself by symptoms of a more chronic type. They are more 
tardy in their approach, and do not pass off so quickly as those 
of an excessive flow of bile. This form of deranged func- 
tions of the liver is indicated by irregularity in the intestinal 
functions; the bowels act with sluggishness, and become con- 
stipated; the evacuations are pale or slate-colored; the stomach 
begins to show its participation in the disorder by dyspepsia, 
flatulence, nausea. A well-known pain under the right shoul- 
der-blade is one of the commonest attendants of this disorder. 
Headache occurs. The sight is impaired or interrupted by 
dark specks or films, termed "muscse volitantes," floating, as it 
were, before the eyes. The complexion becomes sallow, or of 
a muddy, yellowish color. The patient becomes a sufferer 
from piles, and, as an almost inevitable consequence of such 
varied derangement of functions, depression of spirits follows. 
This latter is a very common attendant upon disorders of the 
liver, the word hypochondrical having an etymological refer- 
ence to the liver as the seat of the disorder. Jaundice is not 
an unfrequent occurrence to children suffering from bilious 
derangement, but has not then a serious import. Jaundice is 
a very frequent occurrence with new-born infants, and arises 
from an alteration in the course and quantity of blood that 
passes through the liver after birth. It cannot be called a dis- 
ease under such circumstances, nor does it require medicinal 
treatment. In the former condition — that of an excessive 
flow of bile — the liver is said to be in a state of active conges- 
tion; in the latter, of passive congestion. The former may 
pass into inflammation. This, however, is rarely seen in this 
country, but is only too frequently met with in hot climates. 
The pain that is felt in the right side with the above described 
symptoms, and not uncommonly regarded as an indication of 
inflammation of the liver, is the result of congestion of the 
organ. Acute inflammation of the liver is attended with great 
pain in the right side, extending to the right shoulder-blade, 



MEDICINAL. 29? 

and tenderness on pressure over the region of the organ, aggra- 
vated by lying on the left side. The pain in the region of the 
liver may be so acute as to make it difficult to distinguish from 
that of plurisy, while, on the other hand, the mistake is often 
made of regarding a limited extent of plurisy in the lower part 
of the chest as an attack of inflammation of the liver. With 
the pain there is, in inflammation of the liver, a varying degree 
of fever, thirst, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, hiccup. The 
urine becomes scanty and is high-colored. The bowels are 
frequently costive, the evacuations very pale, even white, show- 
ing a deficiency in the flow of bile. The same defect of flow 
of bile by the intestines causes its absorption into the circula- 
tion, giving rise to yellowness of the complexion and coats of 
the eye — jaundice. If the inflammation is not subdued, the 
pain will probably become of a- throbbing character, severe 
shivering will occur, and an abscess form. This may burst 
into the chest and the matter be expectorated, or it may be- 
come the cause of serious mischief in the cavity of the chest, 
or it may find its way by opening into the stomach and be vom- 
ited, or it may escape externally by opening into the surface 
of the body; which of these shall occur we cannot determine. 
In chronic inflammation of the liver the preceding symp- 
toms are present in a milder degree, but are slower in their 
progress — they are attended with less feverishness. There is 
present depression of spirits amounting sometimes to melan- 
choly. As the disease progresses, diarrhoea, debility, wasting, 
and dropsy are pretty sure to make their appearance, followed 
by death from exhaustion. 

Treatment. — Bilious derangement, "congestion of the 
liver," or jaundice, is prone to occur in overfed children, and 
produce sickness and diarrhoea, with light-colored, slimy 
stools. This derangement (English cholera), under judicious 
dietary, generally corrects itself by carrying off excess of bile 
or badly-digested food. If, however, it continues more than a 
day or two in spite of careful dieting and abstinence from 
stimulative food, a mild mercurial will be of service, such as, 
(for a child over three years of age) : 

Gray powder (mercury with chalk), i grain; prepared 
chalk, 3 grains; magnesia, i grain. Given night and morn- 
ing. Or: — Rhubarb powder, 3 grains; ipecacuanha powder, 
one-fourth grain; nitre powder, 2 grains. Mix and give twice 
a day. 

In biliousness occurring to adults, and attended with sick- 
ness, the first thing is to give the stomach as nearly as possible 
entire rest by putting almost nothing into it while the vomiting 
lasts. This may moreover be checked sometimes by small 
pieces of ice taken into the mouth, and swallowed when par- 



208 MEDICINAL. 

tially melted. Soda-water in small quantities frequently taken 
is also serviceable. A mustard plaster on the pit of the stom- 
ach assists also in checking sickness. When the sickness has 
passed off, the greatest care in diet is required. Fish, poultry, 
boiled mutton, with a moderate allowance of well-cooked green 
vegetables, such as cauliflower, asparagus, marrows. Light 
wine, such as claret, may be allowed. 

The diarrhoea that occurs in these disorders of the liver 
may be checked by mineral acids — e. g., 

Diluted muriatic acid, 2 drachms. Compound tincture of 
cardamoms, 1 ounce. 

Cinnamon water, to 8 ounces. Mix, and give an eighth part 
every three or four hours. 

In chronic biliary derangements occurring in "bilious hab- 
its," more may be done by abstemious living than by physic. 
The habit of taking so-called "anti-bilious" pills, calomel, blue 
pill, etc., to correct disorders of the liver, that may be avoided 
by avoiding there causes, is simply absurd. But where, in spite 
of care, the liver is habitually sluggish, an occasional small 
dose of blue pill at bedtime, followed by a simple aperient in 
the morning, may safely be taken. In some persons, however 
careful they may be, the proneness to biliary derangement is 
greater than can always be managed by even great care in 
dieting. In such cases the repeated use of small doses of min- 
eral acids, with extract of dandelion or sarsaparilla, is believed 
to be useful. Fresh air and outdoor exercise are also impor- 
tant means — horse exercise, if possible. 

Acute inflammation of the liver is, as already remarked, 
rarely met with in temperate climates. In parts of India and 
other hot climates, it is not unfrequently met with, owing partly 
to the solar heat and partly, it is said, to imprudence in dieting 
and exposure. An active treatment is required, such as free 
leeching over the region of the liver, or cupping if there be 
any skilled person to perform it. At the same time full doses 
of calomel are to be given (five to ten grains), and repeated 
every six hours, followed up by saline purgatives, such as Ep- 
som salts and senna. While these are taking effect, mercurial 
ointment should be rubbed into the armpits and groin night 
and morning. This would be the treatment for a case of acute 
inflammation of the liver occurring in a tropical climate, in an 
adult person. There is, however, some reason to believe that 
calomel has been somewhat too liberally given in such cases. 

Bite of a Venomous Serpent. — Suck the wound immedi-. 
ately, if you can, yourself; if not, get a friend to do so (it can 
be done without danger, if there be no abrasure — scratch, that 
is — or sore on the tongue or lips), and then tie a string, if possible, 
tightly round the part, finger or limb, that has been bitten, be- 



MEDICINAL. 299 

tween the wound and the body; wash well with warm water, and 
apply liquor ammonias diluted to the wound, and take fifteen 
to twenty drops in a wine-glass of water internally, every three 
or four hours; keep the patient from going to sleep. 

Bite from a Dog Suspected to be Mad. — Soak immediately 
in, and wash with, water as hot as you can bear it; then apply 
salt to it freely, and send for a doctor to cut out the part, if 
practicable, or to burn it with lunar caustic, and if you cannot 
get one, do it yourself, only do not overdo it. If you have no 
lunar caustic at hand, use a good, strong solution of carbolic 
acid to the place. Take a Turkish bath at once if possible; it 
is one more chance in your favor. 

In all cases, if possible, send for a medical man, but if one 
cannot be had, the above remedies are applicable. 

N. B. — The wound may be sucked with impunity either by 
the person himself who is bitten, or by a friend for him, if he 
has no abrasion, that is, scratch, or sore place, or sore on his 
mouth, or lips. Do not cauterise the wound yourself, if you 
can help it; leave that to a medical man, if one can possibly be 
got within a short time. Sad results have been known to occur 
from unskillful cauterization. 

A bite from a dog not mad gives rise to great inflammation; 
linseed poultice, sprinkled with from fifteen to twenty drops of 
laudanum, is the best application for this; it may be continued 
about a week. 

Bleeding at the Nose. — Lay the patient immediately at his 
full length upon the floor, or on a table, or on a bench, and 
stretch out his arms behind his head, to their full length, on a 
level with his body; unloose the collar, and apply wet towels 
to the back of his neck. I have always found this posture, 
that is, laying the patient flat on the back, answer best; but 
many excellent doctors do not consider the posture of the body 
of importance, and as sitting or reclining back in an arm chair 
is more convenient and less fussy, it will probably be sufficient 
to plaCe the arms in a vertical position, that is, straight up above 
the head. If the bleeding continue obstinate, use ice if you 
can get it, instead of water, and put a plug of lint in the nostril, 
steeped in a strong solution of alum and water. If you can 
get it, snuff up the nose a solution of gallic acid, or, better still, 
of tannic acid, or even inject it up the nose. It is the most 
powerful astringent of all. For a child's nose when bleeding, 
a large, cold door key laid behind the neck and between the 
shoulders, will often suffice, compressing at the same time the 
nostril with the finger firmly for a few minutes. When the 
above treatment fails, snuff up a few drops of tincture of saffron 
(crocus sativus) in a little water. This is almost sure to 
answer. 



300/ MEDICINAL. 

Bladder, Inflammation of. — Symptoms. — This affection is 

indicated by acute pain of a burning character at the lower 
part of the stomach, or, more strictly speaking, abdomen, and 
of the body, and down the thighs. The pain is augmented by 
pressure, and by passing water, occasion for which is frequent, 
its voidance difficult, and in small quantities. A considerable 
degree of fever is present, attended with restlessness, heat of 
skin, and increased frequency of the pulse. The urine that is 
passed is turbid, cloudy, and high-colored, and sometimes 
bloody. 

Treatment. — In the treatment of acute inflammation of 
the bladder the patient must be kept to his bed, and have a 
dozen leeches applied to the lowest part of the body or just in 
front of the fundament — the bleeding to be encouraged by hot 
fomentation and poultices or a hot hip bath. At the same 
time free purgation should be promoted by epsom salts or 
Glauber's salts; full doses of opium, either as pill or tincture, 
should be administered to relieve the pain and urgency to 
evacuate the bladder. After these measures have been put 
in force, and have somewhat relieved the suffering, the follow- 
ing mixture may be given: — 

Bicarbonate of potash, 15 grains; tincture of henbane, 1 
drachm. And repeated every four or six hours, according as 
the symptoms yield or not. 

The diet must be of the mildest and most unstimulating 
character. 

Bleeding from' the Lungs, Spitting of Blood, Expectoration 
of Blood, Hsemoptymis. — Symptoms. — Occurr usually with the 
presence of cough, and a tickling feeling at the back of the 
throat, preceded frequently by sense of oppression or of 
weight in the chest; the blood is expectorated in very varying 
quantities, generally exciting a well-founded alarm. The 
blood may be brought up pure, or mixed with the mucus of the 
air passages. In some instances, the mouth fills with blood, 
unattended with cough. A saltish taste in the mouth is very 
often experienced. Its florid color, frothy character, and 
attendant cough, will assist in its distinction from vomiting of 
blood. 

Treatment. — Bleeding from the lungs is not always 
attended with the danger that is generally apprehended. 
Although its occurence excites alarm in reference to the exist- 
ence of consumptive disease, it is sometimes beneficial rather 
than otherwise, as it tends to relieve congestion in the weak 
part of the lung. Very few cases prove fatal from the bleed- 
ing alone. 

The strictest rest and quiet, and absolute silence, should be 



MEDICINAL. 301 

enforced; the chamoer be cool and airy, aumitting o. tree 
ventilation. The patient should be placed half-sitting Only- 
cold drinks, or pieces of ice should be allowed at first. All 
food should be given cold. Only in case of extreme faintness 
should stimulants be given. 

The medical treatment required, is the administration of 
astringents internally, e. g. : Gallic acid, 30 grains; epsom 
salts, one-half ounce; diluted sulphuric acid, 1 drachm; 
water, to 6 ounces. Mix. Give a sixth part every three 
hours, unless the medicine purge too freely, then the epsom 
salts may be omitted. 

Cloths dipped in cold water, or spirit and water, should be 
kept applied on the chest. The rest and quiet should be 
observed for several days after the hemorrhage has ceased, 
which it will do, probably, only gradually, the expectoration 
being streaked for a variable time. 

Bleeding from the Stomach and Bowels. — H^ematemesis 
or Vomiting of Blood — Is usually a result of some internal 
disease causing obstruction of the circulation of blood through 
the liver, spleen, or stomach; or it may be a result of the 
derangement of more distant organs. Ulceration of the mucous 
surface of the stomach itself may lead to the opening of a 
vessel therein. It is preceded by a sense of nausea or sickness, 
or faintness, and by a feeling of heaviness or of oppression at 
the pit of the stomach. The blood vomited is generally of a 
dark color, and is mixed with food, and differs in color from 
the frothy fluid blood that is coughed up from the air passages. 

Treatment. — If the bleeding be traced to some derange- 
ment or congestion of the liver, it should be treated according 
to the directions laid down for vomiting in bilious disorders, 
and the treatment directed for chronic biliary disorders. If it 
have been preceded by dyspepsia, pain in the pit of the stom- 
ach, or other signs of disorder of that organ alone, without 
much general derangement of the health, it is to be feared that 
the bleeding may proceed from an ulcer within the stomach 
perforating a blood-vessel. In this case, ice should be given, 
and very little else, at the time, except it be some astringent 
medium — e. g, five or six grains or gallic acid or tannin every 
four hours, with a drachm of epsom salts, since an aperient 
may be useful to clear away what blood may have passed into 
the bowels. In these cases of bleeding from the stomach the 
curative treatment is dietic. Milk alone should be allowed 
for a few days. After four or five days, some white of egg 
may be stirred up in the milk, and this should constitute the 
sole diet for two or three weeks. At the end of this time, 
small quantities of whiting, or some other white fish, may be 
allowed. The longer this diet can be maintained, the more 






302 MEDICINAL. 

sure the result. A return to ordinary diet must be very gradual, 
and by taking carefully of poultry or well-cooked mutton. 

Boils and Carbuncles. — Symptoms. — Boils are distinguish- 
able from carbuncles by their smaller size, by their conical shape, 
inflamed base, and tendency to form matter at the point. Be- 
neath the matter is a portion of dead tissue or " core." 

Carbuncle is a large and flattened compound boil, without 
the tendency to present a conical point. A carbuncle tends to 
form matter, and opens at various parts of its surface. At 
these points the skin gives way, presenting a riddled aspect, 
gradually running into one sore. The inflamed base of a 
carbuncle extends wider than that of a boil, and has a harder 
feel, resembling, indeed, the consistence of brawn. 

Treatment. — A small boil requires no treatment beyond 
protection from friction, by diachylon or soap plaster. If, how- 
ever, it be large, inflamed, and painful, water dressing or warm 
poultices should be applied, until the core has sloughed out. 
It should then be dressed with zinc ointment. A carbuncle 
should, in the first instance, be kept well covered with the 
water dressing protected by oil silk, until the surface begins to 
give way, and presents numerous small, yellow points of matter; 
it should then be dressed with strips of lint smeared with the 
yellow basilicon ointment, covered outside with linen, mois- 
tened with Condy's fluid or carbolic oil, if there be any offen- 
sive odor. After the slough of dead tissue beneath the skin 
has separated, the sore may be dressed with zinc ointment. 
The diet should be full and nutritious, with a moderate allow- 
ance of stimulants. The medicines that will be useful will be 
quinine, compound tincture of bark, muriated tincture of iron, 
etc. 

Bowels, Inammflation of.— This is often ushered in by slight 
shivering fit, a degree of nausea with thirsty and a white, furred 
tongue with a red tip or red spots. There will be pain or ten- 
derness of some parts of the abdomen, more commonly in the 
lower part or about the middle region. The pain is of a dull 
sort, except in the part that is most tender on pressure, where 
it will become acute and increased by bodily movements. The 
knees are generally drawn up in order to take off the pressure 
of the muscles of the abdomen. There is loss of appetite, sick- 
ness, sometimes vomiting, with increasing thirst, a coated 
tongue, and a hot, dry skin. The bowels are often obstinately 
constipated at the commencement of an attack of inflammation, 
and afterwards they become relieved even to diarrhoea. The 
character of the motions will vary — they are usually thin and 
watery, consisting of mucus and fasces, and are occasionally 
tinged with blood. 



MEDICINAL. 303 

These symptoms are generally attended with a feverish condi- 
tion of the system, as shown by a rapid, sharp pulse, thirst, heat 
of surface, &c. Inflammation of the bowels may originate in 
indigestible or undigested food; the action of irritant poisons, 
or of too active purgation. 

Treatment. — Complete rest of body, and, as far as is 
possible, of the intestines, is the first and most essential point of 
treatment. The patient must be confined to the bed, and 
warm fomentations and poultices should be applied over the 
abdomen. Pain and diarrhoea may be relieved by Dover's 
powder — five grains every four or six hours, according to the 
severity of the symptoms, in cases of adults; for children, 
smaller doses may be cautiously given. If the pain be very 
acute, one grain of plain opium may be given every six hours. 
Turpentine stupes will be found useful. The constipation that 
sometimes ushers in an attack of inflammation of the bowels 
is often relieved by a few doses of opium. It depends upon 
spasm or cramp of the intestinal fibres. The diet should be 
of the simplest kind, soft and nutritious — e. g., milk, beef tea, 
mutton broth, eggs, arrowroot, etc., in small quantities fre- 
quently. 

Breast, Inflammation of (acute). — Milk Abscess. — Symp- 
toms. — A portion of the breast becoming harder than the rest, 
and having a throbbing pain, with slight redness of the skin. 
The hardness and pain extending, a degree of fever is set up. 
Shivering takes place, the throbbing increases — at last some 
one spot on the surface becomes softer as the matter which has 
been formed comes to the surface — the skin is thinned and 
gives way, if not opened by a lancet, and allows of the escape 
of matter, sometimes in large quantities. 

Abscess of the breast occurs during the early weeks of 
nursing, and sometimes during weaning, sometimes through 
neglect in drawing off the milk when it is required to be done, 
and often without any known cause, and despite every care 
that may have been taken. 

Treatment. — When only a small portion of the gland is 
affected, the application of cold lotion will sometimes disperse 
the inflammation, especially if at the same time the breast be 
drawn by breast-pump or drawing glass, and the breast be care- 
fully supported by a sling made of a pocket-handkerchief, or 
band of any convenient kind. Should these means not have 
the desired effect of checking the course of the abscess, then 
warm poultices should be applied, or some folds of soft linen 
dipped in warm water and covered with oil-silk. From the 
first, a full diet, with wine or beer, is preferable to low diet, 
and any depleting or weakening treatment should be avoided. 



■ 



304 MEDICINAL. 

After the matter has come to the surface, the continued 
application of poultices will cause the abscess to burst; and, if 
it points at one depending point, it is better left to take its 
course. If, however, it should not point freely at one spot, but 
at several, the opening of the most depending should be done 
by the lancet. 

Chronic Inflammation of the Breast. — Sometimes at 
the time of weaning, a portion of the breast becomes tender 
and hard, but does not give the pain or produce the redness of 
"milk abscess." It occurs sometimes to young girls after 
mumps, and at the period of puberty. In women, at the change 
of life it also occurs. It readily follows also on a blow. 

Treatment. — The treatment consists in improving or keep- 
ing up the general health. The less that is done to the breast 
in the way of local applications the better. The hardened lump 
often rapidly disappears of itself. 

Bright's Disease. — Degeneration of the Kidneys. — Symp- 
toms. — This is a disease of a very grave nature, and one which 
is seldom recovered from; but it is one of which it would be 
difficult to give an intelligent description to non-professional 
persons. Only the physician can treat it properly. 

Bruises.— The variation of the colors of bruises is owing 
to changes going on in the blood which has been effused under 
the skin by violence. A bruise generally goes through all the 
various tints from black to grcer. and yellowish-green. Bruises 
sometimes, from the large quantities of blood effused, become 
inflamed and form abscesses. 

Treatment. — To prevent or diminish discoloration from 
bruises, it is well to apply cold or warm water as soon after 
the violence has been done as possible. To allay the swelling 
j>r inflammation which may follow, cooling lotions should be 
used. A mixture of tincture of arnica and water has been 
strongly recommended, but a mixture of spirit and water, or 
spirit, vinegar and water, will be found quite as efficacious. 
Spirits of wine, i oz; vinegar, i oz; water, to 4 oz. 

Graze, or Abrasion. — An abrasion of the skin, or what is 
commonly termed "barked skin," is the simplest form of a 
wound. It consists in the superficial skin being rubbed off by 
violence. This form of injury of course varies in severity as 
the amount of violence varies. 

Treatment. — For a slight abrasion a piece of linen or 
linen wetted with cold water and covered with oil-silk or 
gutta-percha tissue, will generally be sufficient dressing. Or it 
may be covered with gold-beater's skin. 

For a graze or bruised wound of considerable extent or 



MEDICINAL. 305 

depth, a dressing of carbolic acid and oil will be found a ser- 
viceable application. Take of carbolic acid, i part; best olive 
oil, 28 parts; apply on lint or soft linen. 

In a majority of cases any simple application that will pro- 
tect the denuded surface, while it is being skinned over, is 
enough — e. g., spermaceti ointment, spread on linen, will be all 
that is required. One method of treatment for abrasions, is to 
apply a piece of dry lint, and let the blood soak into it. This 
may be allowed to dry on the sore, and thus form an artificial 
scab; or the lint may first be soaked into compound tincture 
of Benzoin, known as Friar's Balsam. 

Bums and Scalds. — The effect of these will vary with the 
extent of surface, or the depth of skin injured or destroyed. 
Recovery, moreover, must depend greatly upon the state of 
health at the time of the accident. Under ordinary states of 
health a superficial scald or burn, not destroying the skin be- 
low the surface, and not involving more than half the super- 
fices, may be recovered from. Less than half of this extent of 
burn may, however, be fatal, if it extend to the true skin and 
the muscles below. 

Burns as a rule destroy more than scalds. Scalds usually 
form blisters and go no deeper, but burns may char the deeper 
skin and the muscles beneath; they are, therefore, the more 
dangerous of the two. Should the burn have resulted from 
the clothes catching fire, they should carefully be removed, so 
as not to break the blisters, which may be forming or formed, 
lest violence be done to the raw skin beneath, and, for the same 
reason, pieces of the clothing that stick to the surface should 
not be removed at the time. If the burn or scald be extensive, 
some stimulant, wine and water, should be given at once to 
diminish the effect of "shock." 

Treatment. — The principle to be observed in the treat- 
ment of burns and scalds, is to cause a gradual diminution of 
heat in the part, not to allow it to cool too quickly. This is 
effected by protecting the burnt or scalded part from the air, 
by immediately dredging with flour, or covering with cotton- 
wool or oil. If the case is a slight one, these dressings may be 
left on for a day or two; but, if it be more severe, the damaged 
parts should be dressed with lint, spread with basilicon or 
resin ointment, or a mixture of equal parts of that ointment 
and spirits of turpentine. Another useful lotion for applica- 
tion to burns and scalds of slight extent, consists of "carron- 
oil," or, lime-water, 1 part; linseed-oil, 2 parts; well shaken 
together, and applied by means of strips of lint, or soft linen 
rag, soaked in it, and changed twice a day. 

The Blisters. — How to be Treated. — It is generally 

20 



300 MEDICINAL. 

advisable not to cut the blisters which may be formed, as they 
protect the true skin under them; but, if the base of the blister 
shows symptoms of inflammation, it is as well to evacuate the 
contents, but, even then, to do it by means of a small prick, 
and to leave the skin on, so that it may protect the raw surface 
from the air. The black char of skin that is sometimes left 
should be poulticed with bread, or linseed meal and bread, till 
the slough separates. When this has taken place, there is left 
a surface of what appear to be little mounds of flesh, and these 
give out a discharge of matter. They are called granulations, 
and are the commencements of the process of healing. At 
times these granulations grow very rapidly and abundantly, 
rising above the level of the adjacent skin. This is what is 
commonly meant by "proud flesh." Their growth may be 
checked by gently touching them with stick of nitrate of silver, 
and dressing the surface with oxide of zinc ointment. Burns 
between the fingers, or in any place where two contiguous sur- 
faces are likely to come in contact, should be separately dressed, 
and great care should be taken to keep the granulating surfaces 
apart, or they may grow together and produce deformity. 

Opiates. — If there be much pain, it will be advisable to 
give opium, in the form of the tincture, as it will also allay ner- 
vous excitement. Tincture of opium, 10 minims; water, one 
teaspoonful every four hours. This dose, it should be borne 
in mind, is for an adult person. 

Burns from Chemicals. — The destructive chemicals most 
likely to produce these accidents aresulphuric acid, or oil of 
vitrol; nitric acid, or aqua fortis; ammonia, and hydrofluoric 
acid; strong carbolic acid, and chloride of zinc. In cases of 
burns from any of these the parts should be well washed with 
water, in which a little bicarbonate of soda is dissolved, or soap 
and water in the case of the acids. Afterwards treat as in a 
case of inflammatory ulcer or ordinary burn. 

Gunpowder Burns. — Explosions of gunpowder cause de- 
struction of skin, and resemble burns or scalds in their effects. 
They should be treated in the same manner as burns, first re- 
moving particles of carbon by means of a soft sponge and warm 
water. 

The diet, in severe burns, should be supporting. Some 
stimulant is usually advisable. 

Cold. — Either one or other of the following remedies is 
likely to succeed. Put twenty to thirty, or even thirty-five, 
according to age and strength, drops of laudanum in a tumbler 
of cold water. You can add a few drops of peppermint or 
half a glass of sherry to take away the nasty taste; but the effect 
of the laudanum is just the same. Sip it slowly for an hour or 



MEDICINAL. 307 

an hour and a half before going to bed, as if it were wine, and 
as if you liked it. Do not go out again the same night, but go 
to bed pretty early. The chances are you will be perfectly 
well in the morning. 

In case you are afraid to take laudanum, though it is but 
an idle fear, adopt the following recipe: — Before going to bed, 
put the feet in hot water, and have a warm bed. As you step 
into bed, or just after it, take either a Dover's powder in a lit- 
tle preserve, or a teaspoonful of sweet spirits of nitre in a tea- 
cupful of hot milk; cover up with extra blankets or rugs. 
Either one or other of the remedies will produce violent per- 
spiration, which will probably bring about the desired effect. 
If all else fails, try a Turkish bath. 

Another remedy — whose value is as yet unknown to the 
medical profession — for colds, viz. aconite, either in tincture 
or pilules, one every four hours, often produces an excellent 
effect; and gives relief as soon as, or sooner than anything else. 

Chapped Hands. — After washing the hand, and before dry- 
ing them, pour over the backs of them some glycerine and 
water (equal proportions), smear it over them, and then quickly 
dip it into water and dry the hands gently, so as not entirely 
to wipe off the glycerine. 

Chest, Inflammation of. — Varieties. — This term would in- 
clude pneumonia, or inflammation of the substance of the 
lungs; bronchitis, or inflammation of the air tubes going to the 
lungs;- and pleurisy, or inflammation of the thin membrane 
which covers the lungs and lines the chest. It requires medi- 
cal knowledge to distinguish these one from the other, but as 
they have many symptoms in common they are here, for facil- 
ity or domestic treatment, classed together. The following 
principal distinctive features of each may, however, be of some 
use: 

Symptoms. — In pneumonia, or inflammation of the lungs, 
there is a dull aching, or more severe, pain at some parts 
(usually the lower part) of the chest; difficulty of breathing, 
with a frequent short cough with very little expectoration, 
which will probably be of a rusty color or slightly streaked 
with blood. There is also a difference in the two sides as to 
the ease or discomfort of lying down. The skin dry or pun- 
gently hot, and in feverish state. 

In bronchitis the pain is more extended but less acute, and 
the fever runs less high, the tightness of breath less; expecto- 
ration is looser, and frothy. 

In pleurisy there may be no cough at all, the fever less ac- 
tive; but the pain is cutting and acute, and usually referable 
to a spot or limited part, and increased by coughing, etc. The 






308 MEDICINAL. 

pulse will be accelerated in each, the tongue furred, the bowels 
disturbed in their functions, the urine higli colored and depos- 
iting a red sediment. 

Inflammation of the chest generally begins with the symp- 
tioms of catarrh, or of a severe cold; when the inflammation, 
however, affects the substance of the lung or its covering, the 
previous catarrhal stage is often short or entirely absent. The 
pain and ferverish symptoms appear at once. The tendency of 
these forms of inflammation of the chest is to recover under 
ordinary care; but pneumonia sometimes goes on to absces, 
bronchitis may run on into a chronic form, and cause suffoca- 
tion by the profuse quantity of phlegm secreted. Pleurisy may 
terminate in the pouring out of a quantity of fluid into the 
chest. 

Bronchitis. — This is the form of inflammation of the chest 
that is most prone to become chronic, and to recur as "winter 
cough" periodically, attended with profuse expectoration and 
shortness of breath. In aged people, the winter cough is prone 
to become seriously aggravated by severe weather, under which 
circumstances debility rapidly becomes extreme, and the 
patient becoming drowsy, and unable to relieve himself of the 
phlegm, dies from suffocation. 

Treatment. — In the mildest form of bronchitis, or simple 
catarrhal fever, the treatment need be little more than what is 
practiced for a common cold, such as, for an adult: Ten grains 
of Dover's powder, taken at bedtime, and followed by some 
simple aperient early the next morning; or, three or four grains 
of James' powder at bedtime, together with warm bath or 
warm footbath, and warm drinks — such as tea, wine, whey, 
&c. If the cough persists, take of ipecacuanha wine, two 
drachms; oxymel of squills, 10 drachms. Mix. Take a tea- 
spoonful three or four times a day. Apply also mustard plas- 
ter to the chest at bedtime. In the feverish colds to which 
children are very liable, the above plan of treatment may be 
pursued, reducing the doses to suit the ages of the little 
patients, avoiding the use of the opiate (Dover's powder) in 
their cases. 

Treatment of Acute Bronchitis. — If the skin be hot, 
the cough urgent, and the breathing accelerated or oppressed 
and attended with pain, the surface of the chest should be en- 
veloped with hot fomentations, or turpentine stupes, or mustard 
plasters. Should the pain be very acute in breathing, the 
painfal part might be painted with the blistering liquid and 
afterwards covered with wadding, or with spongiopiline, soaked 
in warm water. If the pulse be full and rapid, an emitic of 
antimonial wine may be given — viz., a teaspoonful every five 



MEDICINAL. 309 

minutes until vomiting occurs, which is to be encouraged with 
draughts of warm water. If the fever be not very high, or if 
the patient be not very robust and strong, an emetic of ipecacu- 
anha wine, given in the same way, should be preferred, as the 
antimonial emetic sometimes proves very depressing. After 
these first measures have been carried out, the expectorant 
effects of the medicines may be kept up by repeated small 
doses — e. g., ten drops of ipecacuanha or antimonial wine every 
three hours. 

Acute bronchitis occurring in children is to be treated on 
the same plan. The following powder is useful for a child 
about two or three years of age, where there is much cough 
and fever; Take of powdered ipecacuanha, i grain; calomel, 
3 grains; nitre, 12 grains; white sugar, 12 grains. Mix, and 
divide into six or eight powders, according to the age of the 
child, and the strength and severity of the disease. If the 
bowels are relaxed by the powders, the calomel should be 
omitted. A warm bath should be given morning and evening. 

Treatment. — Chronic bronchitis, occurring mostly in con- 
stitutions impaired either by age or previous illness, requires a 
different treatment as regards diet and regimen, as also it 
demands more stimulant and tonic medicines. The frequent 
application of external irritants and stimulating liniments 
is more useful here than even in acute bronchitis. This may 
be effected by friction with compound camphor liniment, 
or hartshorn and oil, or spirits of turpentine, or the use of 
repeated mustard plasters, and occasionally blistering the 
chest. 

Chicken Pock. — In the majority of cases this is a mere 
trifling malady, with little or no febrile symptoms. In many 
others it is preceded with a four-and-twenty or six-and-thirty 
hours' feverish disturbance. These symptoms usually subside 
on the appearance of an eruption of pimples on the body, face, 
and head. On the second day the pimples present small 
vesicles or bladders, containing a clear fluid like water. On 
the third or fourth day the vesicles contain opaque yellowish 
fluid; these dry and fall off in scabs during the next two or 
three days, leaving, generally, no trace behind. Sometimes, 
however, the skin is slightly pitted, especially if the spots have 
been scratched or picked. 

Treatment. — This consists in a light diet, and the mildest 
aperient medicine, if even any be required at all. The disease 
is sometimes mistaken for modified small-pox, and vice versa. 
But it will be noticed that the vesicles of chicken pock stand on 
the pimple like a small bubble or bladder of water, and that 
they have little or no inflammation around their bases. In 



310 MEDICINAL. 

small-pox, even when modified, there is always an inflamed 
base to the vesicles, which are flattened instead of globular. 
Chicken pock runs a much shorter course than modified small- 
pox. The latter seldom, even when most distinctly modified, 
lasting less than ten or twelve days; chicken pock seldom 
exceeding six or seven, and being mature on the fourth day. 

Chilblains. — The best remedy for these, when not broken, 
is to paint them twice a day with strong tincture of iodine. 

A liniment of equal parts of extract of lead and spirits of 
turpentine is also very useful. 

If inflamed and broken, they should be poulticed and 
dressed with some simple ointment. 

Cholera : — English or Autumnal Diarrhoea. — Symptoms. — 
In the heat of autumn it is very common that diarrhoea sets in 
suddenly, without any signs of previous bilious disorder. It is 
frequently accompanied by cramps of the legs, with nausea or 
vomiting; the tongue is furred, and great thirst is caused; the 
pulse is feeble; the loose motions are numerous — bilious at 
first — becoming more and more watery until they contain little 
more than mucus. 

Treatment. — If there has been no indiscretion in diet to 
excite the attack, some warm and astringent medicine may be 
given at once; as, creasote, or chalk mixture, or tincture of 
catechu. (See Table of Medicines for the doses). If these 
fail to relieve the symptoms, a pill of one grain of opium will 
sometimes stop the looseness and relieve pain and sickness. 
This dose, however, should not be given to children. Should 
the attack be traceable to indigestible or improper food, a dose 
of castor oil should be given in the first instance. Opium or 
astringents may be given afterwards. The simplest diet should 
be taken, such as beef-tea, arrowroot, etc. Brandy may be 
given if there be signs of prostration or faintness. 

Cholera : — Spasmodic, Malignant, or Asiatic. — Symptoms. 
— This is usually preceded by a variable period of promonitory 
looseness of the bowels and a feeling of general indisposition, 
although there are many cases on record of its sudden acces- 
sion without any warning. Such cases have generally been 
met with in hot climates. In the severe form of cholera the 
previous choleratic diarrhoea becomes altered in character; 
before this takes place, recovery is not unfrequent. The stools 
become watery, having a peculiar odor and " rice-water" appear- 
ance. The vomiting assumes the same character. There is a 
feeling of sinking and prostration, rapidly increasing. Cramps 
occur, beginning in the feet and hands, extending to the limbs 
and body. The features assume a sunken, contracted aspect, 
with a look of indifference in the countenance. The surface of 



MEDICINAL. 311 

the body becomes cold and blue, or leaden-hued, and has a 
clammy sweat. The tongue partakes of the coldness of the 
surface. There is great thirst. The pulse feeble, soon alto- 
gether fails to be felt. The voice also acquires a feeble tone, 
being sometimes scarcely audible. The kidneys cease to act, 
and urine is suppressed, and complete collapse and death rap- 
idly supervine, at periods varying up to two days on the aver- 
age. Notwithstanding the feeling of coldness of the surface, 
the patient himself suffers from a sensation of burning heat 
internally, and craves for cold drinks. After the cold stage 
has lasted an uncertain time — it may be as long as forty-eight 
hours, if recovery takes place — it is followed by reaction and a 
febrile stage, which may run into a typhus condition, in 
which stage many cases prove fatal. 

Treatment. — Everything here depends upon early treat- 
ment; half an hour's delay may determine a fatal ending. 
When cholera is prevalent a mere loose motion should immedi- 
ately be attended to. 

For the Preliminary Diarrhcea. — Immediately on the 
occurrence of diarrhoea, if there be any suspicion of its Laving 
been excited either by indiscretion in diet or impurity of water, 
half an ounce of castor oil should be given, and in three hours 
after its action it should be followed up with some astringent 
and sedative, as: For an adult, one grain of opium in the form 
of a pill every four hours, until the diarrhoea begins to decline. 
Or, chalk mixture, i ounce; tincture of catechu, 2 drachms 
every three hours. Or, creasote, 20 drops; spirits of salvola- 
tile, 4 drachms; paregoric, 4 drachms; water, to 6 ounces. 
Mix. Give a fourth every three or four hours. Or, dilute 
sulphuric acid, 30 mins; tincture of opium, 10 mins; water, 2 
ounces. Every four hours. 

Mustard plasters on the pit of the stomach help to check 
sickness. 

A light diet, consisting mainly of beef-tea, with small 
occasional doses of brandy. If these means fail, and the case 
go into the stage of collapse, external warmth in every possible 
way should be promoted. Bottles of hot water, heated bricks, 
bags of hot salt, etc., should be placed about the body and 
limbs, over which warm blankets should be covered. Copious 
draughts of cold water should be allowed to allay the thirst, 
notwithstanding that these may be rejected by vomiting. At 
the same time half a drachm of spirits of salvolatile should be 
given every two hours. The cramps are to be relieved by 
friction, or by pressure on the muscles that are cramped. When 
reaction takes place, the treatment must be gradually modified, 
with greater caution in the use of stimulants. If the febrile 



qi 



2 MEDICINAL. 



reaction go into the typhus state, the case then requires tin 
treatment of typhoid fever. (Which see.) 

Clergyman's Sore Throat. — Symptoms. — An affection of 
the organs of the voice, to which public speakers are liable. It 
is not a sore throat in the ordinary sense of the term, but is an 
affection of the vocal organs extending to the surface of the 
throat. There is a relaxed and elongated state of the uvula. 
The surface of the back part of the throat has a reddish-purple 
and congested appearance. The throat becomes dry and 
the mucus tenacious, so that a constant hawking is occasioned. 
Hoarseness and difficulty in speaking follow. There is some 
pain felt in the seat of the organs of voice, and the voice 
becomes so altered that it is scarcely audible, or is harsh and 
discordant. 

Treatment. — As this affection depends partly upon the 
state of the general health, its condition should be carefully 
looked to. There is, however, much to be done by the care- 
ful management of the respiration in public speaking, so as 
not to admit a rush of cold air upon the organs at the instant 
of using them. The lungs should be filled as much as possi- 
ble through the nostrils, by which means the air is warmed and 
the force of its entry in inspiration is moderated. 

There are two remedies which have considerable power 
over the parts, viz.: the nitrate of silver, and sulphurous acid. 
The nitrate of silver may be freely applied with a mop of 
sponge on the end of a stick or piece of whalebone. Nitrate 
of silver, 40 grains; distilled water, 3 ounces. The sponge 
dipped in this solution should be applied to the congested 
surface of the throat. As, however, this does not effectually 
apply the remedy to the deeper seat of the affection, the 
organs of voice, a " spray apparatus " will be found much more 
effectual. Several convenient forms of the apparatus can be 
had of the surgical instrument makers, with directions for 
their use. The sulphurous acid solution is a very valuable 
means in these cases, when thus applied, twice a day, the 
inspiration of the spray being repeated for about twenty 
minutes each time. 

Colic. — Symptoms and Diagnosis. — A severe twisting and 
griping pain in the bowels, accompanied with flatulence, 
sometimes with vomiting, and always attended with consti- 
pation. The pain is paroxysmal and comes on suddenly, and 
is rather relieved than aggravated by pressure, as would be 
the case in inflammation of the bowels, in which also the manner 
of the attack is different, being in general less sudden in the 
onset, and constant. In colic the tongue is not necessarily 
furred, nor i« **ve pulse quickened, both of which conditions 



MEDICINAL 313 

will be found in inflammation of the bowels. In one obsti- 
nate form of colic the action of the bowels becomes reversed, 
and vomiting of the motions may take place. In such a case 
it should be clearly made out that no rupture or internal 
strangulation of the intestines exists. It is to be observed that 
a mere muscular pain may be mistaken for colic or for inflam- 
mation — the latter, it may be added, more likelv than the 
former to be the error that is committed 

Treatment. — The cause of this painful maiady bein;^ 
generally the irritation of some indigestible or acrid food — 
such as unripe fruit, poisonous fungi, uncooked vegetables, 
sour drinks, etc., — these should be removed as quickly as 
possible, by a full dose of castor oil, with from twenty to forty 
drops of laudanum for an adult, repeated every three or four 
hours if need be. At the same time hot fomentations or tur- 
pentine stupes should be applied over the belly. A hot bath 
will often relieve pain and relax the spasm which causes both 
the pain and the constipation. If flatulence be a predominant 
symptom, it is very likely the cause of the spasm of the bowel. 
In that case, the following will probably give relief: 

Rhubarb powder, 20 grains; carbonate of magnesia, 30 
grains; spirits of nutmeg (or peppermint), 1 drachm; spirits of 
salvolatile, 1 drachm; water, 2 ounces. Taken as a draught, 
and repeated in four or five hours if the colic continue. A dose 
of laudanum may be added. This same mixture, in reduced 
doses (omitting the laudanum), will serve well for the flatulent 
griping to which infants are liable. 

Painters' Colic — Being caused by the poisonous influence 
of white lead (used in their trade), the treatment varies some- 
what. White lead (carbonate of lead) being the poisonous 
pigment that forms the basis of most paint, is rendered inert 
by being converted into sulphate of lead. 

Treatment. — This consists in the administration of sul- 
phate of magnesia (Epsom salts) with alum and laudanum. 
Thus — Epsom salts, 2 ounces; alum, 1 drachm; laudanum, 80 
minims; water, 8 ounces. Mix. Give an eighth part every 
three or four hours, until the bowels are purged and the pain 
relieved; other local means, as above mentioned, being also 
employed. Painters may almost entirely avoid the occurrence 
of colic by making it a point always to wash their hands before 
meals. 

Strangulation of the Bowel. — Closely allied to colic, 
and sometimes following upon it, is this accident, although it 
may occur from several conditions independent of colic. It is 
more frequently met with in young children than in adults, as 
an independent affection. Extreme obstruction of the intes- 



»14 MEDICINAL. 

tines, from an overloaded condition, may give rise to the same 
set of symptoms. It may be scarcely possible to distinguish 
between them, except by the result. Fortunately the treat- 
ment may be the same. 

Symptoms. — The symptoms are: Frequent desire to empty 
the bowel, without success; severe pain, usually at some one 
spot, with extreme tenderness in that part. 

Treatment. — As soon as the fruitless nature of the 
attempts to evacuate the intestines are apparent, all purgatives 
should be withheld. Clysters of large quantities of warm 
water, or of warm olive oil, should be passed gently into the 
bowel. By persevering with these, the obstruction. is some- 
times overcome, and if the cause of the obstruction be loaded 
bowels, relief will pretty surely follow. The obstruction may 
last for several days, and yet give way to this simple and 
unirritating mode of treatment. Vomiting and nausea gener- 
ally attend these cases, which may be relieved by pieces of ice 
and small quantities of champagne, or soda-water and brandy. 

Concussion of the Brain. — Symptoms. — This condition may 
be the result of either a fall, or blow on the head, or it may be 
occasioned by a violent jerk to the body, especially to the lower 
part of the spine. After one or other of these accidents, the 
symptoms of concussion will be: Unconsciousness, and loss of 
power of moving; a small and feeble pulse; the pupil of the 
eye insensible to the light; the complexion pallid; skin cold, 
and there may be vomiting. Convulsions, also, are likely to 
occur if a child is the subject of concussion. 

Treatment. — Small quantities of stimulants, such as wine, 
brandy, ether, or salvolatile in water, should be given every 
half hour, if the patient can swallow, until signs of reaction 
begin to show themselves. This will be known by the restora- 
tion of warmth and color to the surface of the body, together 
with increased force in the pulse, and gradually reviving con- 
sciousness. ^J 

Congestion of the Brain —Symptoms. — Many very differ- 
ent sets of symptoms are often included under this one term. 
Thus, a " fit " is said to be caused by congestion of the brain, 
and so is a feverish condition with "head symptoms," so with 
a " stroke," so also with delirium. 

It is indicated by headache, giddiness, unusual dullness of 
the mind, and of the senses of sight and hearing, or preternat- 
ural excitability, impairment of memory, noises in the ears, 
and a flushed countenance. There is feebleness or sluggish- 
ness of movement. The dullness may pass on into apoplexy, 
or paralysis, or convulsions; or the morbid excitabily may be 
but the precursor of inflammation of the brain. 



MEDICINAL. '315 

Treatment. — The treatment must be modified very much 
by its causes. If from over use of the brain, change of scene, 
fresh air, and bodily exercise may be sufficient to dispel it. 
Shower-baths, with tonic medicines and mild aperients, will 
suffice. Sea-bathing, or plunging-bath, should be avoided, so 
long as there are any symptoms referable to the brain. If the 
dullness and heaviness persist, more active purgatives may be 
employed, and a rather more abstemious diet followed. 

Constipation. — Costiveness of the bowels is a relative con- 
dition — with most persons in health the daily evacuation of the 
intestines is a habit, while others will allow several days to pass 
without experiencing any discomfort from sluggishness of the 
bowels. When this is prolonged beyond the ordinary period, 
various functional derangements occur — e. g., headache, dys- 
pepsia, nausea, flatulent distention, etc. 

Treatment. — The graver cases of obstinate obstruction, if 
they can be made out to be the result of neglected constipa- 
tion, may be relieved sometimes by hot baths, with repeated 
small doses of castor oil (a quarter or half an ounce every two 
hours), or by a pill composed of two grains of extract of aloes 
and two grains of hard soap, given also every two hours. At 
the same time clysters of warm soap and water with castor oil 
(two ounces of oil to a pint of warm soap and water) may be 
thrown into the bowels every two or three hours. The sick- 
ness meanwhile may be relieved by soda-water or champagne, 
or by swallowing small pieces of ice. Tne pain should at the 
same time be relieved by repeated small doses of laudanum 
(fifteen or twenty drops). It is to be noted that opium should 
not be given to infants or young children. 

Consumption. — The approach of this disease is, as is well 
known, often most insiduous and gradual, so that its real exist- 
ence may be masked and overlooked in its early stage. 

Symptoms. — The first symptom that will generally excite 
fear is cough. If a young person, a member of a family where- 
in consumption has been known to occur, has a dry, irritable, 
ringing cough, or a short, moist cough every morning, and last- 
ing for some time, suspicion should be excited. The cough 
continuing, some " tightness " in breathing is expressed, and a 
general derangement of the health follows, with some loss of 
flesh and strength, disinclination to exertion, dyspepsia, costive- 
ness. Irregular mensturation commonly attends the approach 
of consumption. The cough occasionally, but not commonly 
in this early stage, is accompanied with a slight expectoration 
of blood, and with "stitches" in the side, or partial attacks of 
pleurisy. These early symptoms may last a variable time, and 
their true import be overlooked until on some one occasion a 



316 MEDICINAL. 

profuse bleeding from the lungs, or "breaking a blood-vessel" 
in popular language, occurs and draws attention to the real 
cause of all the previous ill health. An attack of inflammation 
of the lungs, or of pleurisy, may also occur. Or, as is the more 
common course of the disease, the cough becomes more fre- 
quent, and is attended with thick, copious expectorations; the 
emaciation becomes more striking; the pulse increases in fre- 
quency, and is more feeble; the patient suffers from chills, and 
flushes of the face and hands. 

As the disease advances these symptoms become more pro- 
nounced as hectic fever; diarrhoea becomes a troublesome 
symptom; there are profuse night sweats, and rapidly increas- 
ing debility. In the face of all these signs of an approaching 
fatal termination, the patient indulges himself with fales hopes 
of recovery,, and dies sometimes with projects and schemes for 
the future on his lips. 

Treatment. — So far as the causes are under control, all 
prejudicial habits or conditions should be avoided by the 
patient; all dissipation or excessive work, either bodily or 
mental. Regular outdoor exercise, with due protection of the 
surface of the body, and of the lungs also, by respirators in 
cold weather, avoiding especially sudden change from heated 
rooms to cold air. Cold sponging and friction of the surface 
of the body will tend to promote the general health. A nour- 
ishing full diet should be taken, consisting of meat, eggs, milk; 
and, if there be wasting of "the body, malt liquor and wine. 
Residence at the seaside will often so far improve the health 
as to retard the progress of disease; but change of climate is of 
little use unless adopted early in the course of the disease. It 
will then sometimes save or prolong a life. Temperate or cold 
climates are more suitable for consumptive patients than hot 
climateSo 

Of medicines, tonics are those which are most useful. In 
the early stages of the disease, iodide of potass is useful — e. g., 
five grains thrice a day with a drachm of tincture of bark. Cod- 
liver oil, with some mineral acid, thus: Dilute nitric acid, 20 
drops; tincture of gentian, 1 drachm; water, a wine glass full, 
with cod-liver oil, one teaspoonful. Pain in the chest may be 
relieved by mustard plasters, or painting with blistering liquid. 
Tincture of iodine painted under the collar bones, in the earlir 
est stages, diminishes cough and relieves pain. 

Convulsion^, or Fits, are, strictly speaking, symptoms, not 
a disease; thus they are seen in the low weak state of the ter- 
mination of disease of various kinds; they are seen in hysteri- 
cal excitement, and are caused by the disturbance of parturi- 
tion, and of dentition. They occur in apoplexy, in epilepsy, 
and other diseases of the nervous system. 



MEDICINAL. 317 

Treaiment. — At the time of the convulsions but little can 
really be done — cold water may be dashed on the face, and 
mustaid plasters applied to the soles of the feet and calves of 
the legs. In the fits of children — the child's body being im- 
mersed in a hot bath — cold water should be poured on the 
head from a jug held at a good height. The hot bath, how- 
ever, cannot be repeated if the fits recur with frequency; the 
cold water can always with safety be poured on the head. 

Corns. — Repeated soaking of the feet in hot water and par- 
ing down the corn with a sharp knife, then applying nitrate of 
silver, and afterwards paring off the hardened black skin. 
Corn-plasters, having a hole in the center, give great relief also 
in wearing. Soft corns are relieved by soaking in warm water, 
and the subsequent application of nitrate of silver. A thick 
plaster to take off unequal pressure, is extremely serviceable. 

Cough. — See Bronchitis, Consumption, etc.; also List of 
Medicines, Expectorants. 

Croup. — This is a disease which is alarming, from the sud- 
denness of its attack and the rapidity with which its runs its 
fatal course if unchecked; but, on the other hand, in the ma- 
jority of cases, it is easily checked if the treatment begins imme- 
diately it occurs. 

Symptoms. — The following is generally the course of the 
disease: A child is put to bed in its ordinary health, appar- 
ently, or it may have, a slight cold, and a cough a trifle rough, 
but not enough to excite attention to it. After a variable time 
the child wakes up with a hoarse,, ringing, rasping cough and 
difficulty in breathing, and countenance expressive of its 
trouble; each inspiration and expiration being attended with a 
rough metallic tubular sound, and the voice masked or obliter- 
ated by a harsh, hoarse, croaking vocalization. The cough is 
dry, harassing, and unattended with expectoration in the out- 
set, but after awhile some portions of a membrane-like mucus 
may be coughed up. The pulse becomes rapid, the skin hot, . 
the countenance more and more distressed, and if relief be not 
afforded, the patient becomes drowsy, the complexion becomes 
blue, and the little patient may die from suffocation within 
forty-eight hours. Happily, however, this is not the most com- 
mon course of the disease, if the treatment be prompt and 
active. 

The first thing to be done is to give a teaspoonful of ipe- 
cacuanha wine every ten minutes until vomiting occurs. Ipecac- 
uanha wine is preferable to antimonial wine, as the latter is too 
depressing. (Where children are subject to croup, ipecac- 
uanha wine should always be at hand.) Meanwhile, a hot bath 
should be prepared, and used as quickly as possible; and while 



318 MEDICINAL. 

in the hot bath a wet sponge, sprinkled with mustard, should 
be held on the upper part of the chest and front of the neck. 
After the vomiting has subsided, small doses of the ipecacuanha 
wine (from five to fifteen drops, according to the age of the 
child) should be continued every three hours, until the hoarse- 
ness in the breathing and voice ceases and the cough becomes 
loose. The atmosphere of the bedroom should be kept warm 
and moist by steam from a pipe or spout of a kettle. The 
temperature should not be allowed to fall below 60 degrees, if 
possible. The diet light and simple. 

As a last resource, supposing these remedies are not at hand 
or obtainable, and the disease is making rapid strides, life may 
be saved by applying scalding water to the neck, holding it 
there on a sponge or flannel for a minute at least. This is a 
most extreme and violent means, but it is one by which the 
writer has seen a life saved. 

Dandriff. — : Symptoms. — Scurf, or dandriff, consists in an 
exuberant exfoliation of the minute scales of the outer skin 
and sometimes forms an obstinate and annoying effection of 
the hairy scalp. 

Treatment. — Rub in some mild ointment or pomatum, 
over night, and wash it out in the morning with soap. Or ap- 
ply the following ointment at bedtime: Ointment of red pre- 
cipitate, 2 ounces; balsam of Peru, 1 drachm, and wash it out 
the next morning with juniper tar soap. 

Delirium Tremens. — Symptoms. — Although one of the 
medical terms for the affection, Mania afiotu (drunkard's mad- 
ness) expresses its most common source, yet there are condi- 
tions of a very different nature to which occasionally its origin 
may be traced. Thus a predisposition to it is engendered by 
excessive mental anxiety or exertion, while it may also be ex- 
cited by any cause of debility operating secretly and suddenly, 
such as loss of blood, a serious wound or injury, a severe men- 
tal shock. Symptoms sometimes follow on these, precisely re- 
sembling those seen in the ordinary delirium tremens, and it 
would be incorrect morally and medically to attribute them in 
such instances to the vice of intempn ^xe. The symptoms 
generally appear suddenly, sometimes :-.uer a premonitory state 
of nervous restlessness, with disturbed sleep, loss of appetite, 
and general derangement of the bodily health 

Treatment. — Where the cause has clearly been intemper- 
ance, the first, and, indeed, the cardinal point in the treatment, 
is to get the alcohol that has caused the disease withdrawn from 
the system. It is usual to administer freely of stimulants; 
which plan possibly arose out of the proverbial treatment of 
hydrophobia — "a hair out of the tail of the dog that bit you." 



MEDICINAL. 319 

The practice is contrary to reason, and has not the results of 
experience in its support. The system being already more 
than saturated with alcohol, it is surely heaping Pelion on Ossa 
to administer more. The practice further places the victim of 
his own bad habits at a disadvantage, by robbing him of the 
opportunity of breaking them off. Too often, indeed, what- 
ever pains may be taken to restrain him, "the sow that was 
washed will return to her wallowing in the mire;" but no rea- 
son is thereby supplied for holding the poor beast down in the 
mire. 

If the patient be preserved as much as possible from the 
sources of excitement, by being kept in a quiet and darkened 
chamber, protected by strong attendants from injuring himself 
or others, and fed with light nourishing diet, such as beef-tea, 
arrowroot, milk, eggs, etc., the delirium will gradually subside, 
and sleep will follow. This plan of treatment, which has been 
advocated by Dr. Wilks, of Guy's Hospital, has the great ad- 
vantage over the usual systematic administration of heroic 
doses of opium, that it is safer. In the hands of non-profes- 
sional persons, the attempt to cure delirium tremens by large 
doses of opium, must succeed only by the death of many pa- 
tients. If, as the delirium subsides, the pulse be found feeble, 
ammonia may be given, or steel and quinine. In what has 
now been laid down in regard to the delirium of mania a potu, 
it is not intended to forbid the moderate use of stim :lants and 
opiates in delirium arising out of other causes of delirium than 
drink. In the sleepless delirium of a brain exhausted by over- 
work, from shock, or by other debiliiating causes, small quan- 
tities of wine or brandy, and dose? of Dover's powder, may be 
advisable. 

Dentition, Teething Fever, Irritation of the Brain. — The 

febrile disturbance attending the cutting of the first set of teeth, 
which process is not complete until the end of two years, is 
often very considerable, and, inasmuch as the symptoms pro- 
duced by it not seldom resemble to a certain extent those of 
inflammation of the brain, they have been collectively termed 
"irritation" of the brain, although it would not be easy for 
those who employ the term to define it. 

A febrile condition appears, the infant becomes restless and 
fretful, its rest is disturbed, its head becomes hot. The gums 
are swollen and hot. Sometimes there is sickness and diar- 
rhoea, in other cases the bowels are found to be costive. One 
point of distinction between the disturbance of teething and 
that caused by inflammation of the brain, is that the soft space 
on the top of the head, if it still remain open, is not full and 
raised, but depressed and cupped. Another point to be noticed 
is the age of the infant. Dentition, commences at very varying 



320 MEDICINAL. 

periods — from the ages of three or four to upwards of twelve 
months — and is usually completed on or about two years of 
age, so that these symptoms occurring sooner or later must be 
regarded as depending upon some other morbid condition of 
the brain or its membranes. Before the teeth appear, their 
growth is often indicated by dribbling, which may appear as 
early as two months of age. Over-feeding or indiscreet dieting 
will sometimes produce the symptoms of brain disturbance. It 
should be borne in mind that the period of dentition is one of 
febrile disturbance in the constitution, and is calculated, in the 
event of the existence of any lurking taint of constitutional 
disorder, to be the occasion of its being brought out into 
activity. This being the case, and dentition frequently follow- 
ing near to the operation of vaccination, the latter has to bear 
the discredit of what probably neither the one nor the other 
alone would produce. 

Treatment. — In the first place, use warm baths and mild 
aperients, such as magnesia or grey powder, with a light, care- 
ful diet. This will generally suffice to assist in removing the 
symptoms, which, however, generally quickly subside if the 
gum can be lanced. 

Diabetes. — Considerable misapprehension of the meaning 
of this word exists in the minds of many persons. It is not 
every excessive secretion of urine that constitutes diabetes. In 
the sense of a disease, as here intended, it includes the voiding 
of sugar therewith persistently. 

Symptoms. — This condition comes on very gradually and 
insidiously. The patient gets out of health, is weak, has a 
general feeling of malaise, why or how he does not know This 
state of things continuing for some time, he begins to notice 
that he voids more urine than usual, and at last perceives that 
very large quantites are voided. Then loss of flesh to emaci- 
ation becomes observable, as also thirst, with dryness of the 
tongue, which exhibits great fissures in its length. The breath 
acquires a smell like fresh hay. The skin becomes harsh, the 
bowels constipated. There may be some pain in the loins. 

Treatment. — The principal part of the treatment resolves 
itself into rigid dieting, which should consist in the exclusion 
of sugar in all its form?, and in the use of animal food, mainly 
— e. g., meat, eggs, milk. "What to eat, drink, and avoid," 
becomes almost the business of life, in some cases of diabetes. 
We may briefly enumerate some rules for the guidance of choice 
in diet. 

What to Eat and Drink. — Bran bread, gluten-bread; 
mutton or beef; poultry, game; ham, sausages, brawn; white- 
fish, shell-fish— e. g., oysters, lobsters, crabs; green vegetables 









MEDICINAL. 321 

aiid sa aJa; water, milk, tea, coffee; claret, sherry, brandy and 
water. Condiments, e. g., vinegar, pickles, mustard, salt. 

What to Avoid. — Ordinary bread, potatoes, farinaceous 
substances generally; sweet fruits and pastry of any kind; malt 
liquors and sweet wines. These rules of dieting should be 
rigidly observed by young subjects of diabetes; they may be 
somewhat relaxed in the cases, of aged persons. The surface 
of the body should be protected by warm flannel undergar- 
ments; the sponge bath, with brisk friction, should also be 
employed to promote the circulation in the skin. 

Medicines. — The only medicine that can be administered 
with any certainty of benefit is opium. This may be given in 
the form of pills, half a grain three times a day, or as Dover's 
powder, five grains three times a day. The dose may be safely, 
if very cautiously, augmented.- 

Diarrhoea. — As a symptom of bilious disorder, and as con- 
stituting the prominent feature of English or Asiatic cholera, 
this complaint will be found treated of under those heads. 
There is, however, a common form of the disorder, which 
appears very often in hot weather, without any other indica- 
tion, and which, if neglected, will lead to fully-developed 
cholera, if that disease or its causes be at the time prevalent; 
while, on the other hand, it is easily arrested if taken in time. 

Treatment.— For an ordinary attack of diarrhoea — not 
arising from any known cause, such as irregularity of diet — a 
dose of the common chalk mixture (one ounce), with a drachm 
of tincture of catechu, repeated every three or four hou^s, will 
generally prove sufficient. If otherwise, three or four drt>ps of 
creasote, mixed with a teaspoonful of spirits of salvolatile in a 
wineglass of water, will check it. 

If the diarrhoea be profuse, and attended with much pain, a 
single dose of one grain of opium (taken as a pill) will often 
be sufficient for the purpose of relieving pain and arresting the 
purging. This dose is for an adult only. Diarrhoea occurring 
in infants and young children is best controlled by one or two 
teaspoonfuls of chalk mixture, given after each loose purge. If 
it prove obstinate, the following will most probably be efficaci- 
ous: Take a few chips of logwood and toil half an hour in 
half a pint of water. Mix two ounces of this decoction with 
half a drachm of powdered alum, and enough powdered sugar 
to sweeten it, and give a teaspoonful after each action of the 
bowel 

Diseases of the Eye. — Ophthalmia (inflammation of the 
eye). There are several forms of this disease, named accord- 
ing to the exciting cause of the inflammation. They are seen 

21 



322 MEDICINAL. 

in the following forms: Catarrhal; Purulent in children; 
Purulent in adults; Strumous, or Scrofulous; Rheumatic. 

Catarrhal Ophthalmia (Mild or Catarrhal Inflam- 
mation of the Eye). — Symptoms. — -There is a redness or 
bloodshot appearance of the eye, an itching and smarting pain 
in it such as might be caused by a grain of sand or dust. 
There is a certain feeling of stiffness in moving the ball of the 
eye, and some difficulty is experienced in looking at the light. 
There is also a profuse discharge of tears from the eye, which 
causes the lids to be glued together in the morning, when the 
patient wakes. If the disease becomes more acute, there is a 
discharge of thicker matter. Sometimes this form of ophthal- 
mia terminates in the formation of vesicles on the eye. 

Treatment. — The following lotion will be found useful; 
Sulphate of zinc, 3 grains, dissolved in distilled water, one and 
a half ounces. A drop or two of this lotion should be carefully 
dropped into the corner of the eye, the lids being then parted, 
the lotion will run into the eye. If a small notch be cut along 
each side of the phial cork, the lotion can be allowed to pour 
out only a drop or two at a time. A dose of compound ipeca- 
cuanha powder (Dover's powder) at bedtime, and a few doses 
of saline aperient will generally set this form of inflammation to 
rights. If, however, the discharge should become thick, and 
the pain more severe, blistering should be applied to the 
temple 

Purulent Ophthalmia of Children. — Symptoms. — This 
generally commences on the second or third day after birth, 
and extends over the entire surface of the eye. There is swell- 
ing of the lids, which are glued together by a copious discharge 
of pus or matter,which, when the lids are separated, pours out 
from between them. On opening them, the inside of the lid is 
found to be of a bright scarlet color. The discharge from the 
eyes is generally yellow, but it becomes sometimes green, or 
tinged with blood. Should the inflammation not be properly 
and early attended to, it causes ulceration of the cornea or 
transparent circle in the centre of the front of the eye, and, if 
this occur, blindness follows. 

Purulent Ophthalmia of Adults. — Egyptian Oph- 
thalmia. — Symptoms. — This disease is very similar to the 
above, with these exceptions, that it generally attacks both eyes 
at once, and there is but little intolerance of light. In this 
disease also the inflammation sometimes spreads into the ball 
of the eye, causing thereby intense intermittent pain 

Treatment. — Purulent ophthalmia requires very much the 
same treatment, both for adults and for infants. It must be 



MEDICINAL. 323 

stated, however, that this form of the disease in infants is catch- 
ing. Great care should therefore be taken to wipe the dis- 
charge with pieces of rag which can be burnt directly. After 
applying the various remedies recommended, the hands should 
always be carefully washed. 

The following lotion should be dropped into the eye as 
above directed: Nitrate of silver, 3 grains, dissolved in dis- 
tilled rain water, one and a half ounce. (The solution of ni- 
trate of silver will stain like marking ink anything it falls upon.) 
Blisters should be applied behind the ear on the affected side, 
or on the temples. For adults the following mixture should be 
taken: Epsom salts, 4 drachms; powdered nitrate of potash, 
tartar emetic, 1 grain; nitre, 30 grains; infusion of senna, 2 
ounces; water to 6 ounces; a sixth part every four hours. The 
first dose or two may produce sickness; this will subside with 
subsequent doses, and is calculated to check the inflammation. 
To infants, a teaspoonful of fluid magnesia should be given 
every day, or more frequently if the bowels be confined. Should 
the pain be very severe, ten grains of Dover's powder may be 
given, but only to adults, as it contains opium. 

Rheumatic Ophthalmia. — Symptoms. — A form of inflam- 
mation which attacks the thick white coat of the eye. The 
eye becomes of a dusky red, but not so much blood-shot as in 
the other forms. The fully distended blood-vessels can. be 
distinguished radiating in straight lines from the edge of the 
cornea or transparent circular membrane in the front of the 
eye, which also becomes duller. There is excessive flow of 
tears, and great intolerance of light. In this form of inflam- 
mation the pain is more intense, and is not confined to the 
ball of the eye, but is felt in the surrounding bones of the 
forehead and cheek. 

Treatment. — If the inflammation be very acute, it will- be 
advisable to apply three or four leeches on the temples, and 
then to blister either in that situation, or behind the ear. The 
following aperient should be given at once, and repeated until 
it acts: Sulphate of Magnesia (Epsom salts), 2 drachms; 
powdered nitrate of potash (nitre), 10 grains; infusion of senna, 
one-half ounce; peppermint water, one-half ounce. 

The following mixture should be taken three times a day, 
after the above draught has acted upon the bowels: Iodide of 
potassium, 40 grains; bicarbonate of potash, 80 grains; col- 
.chicum wine, 2 drachms; water to make 8 ounces. Two 
tablespoonfuls for a dose three times a day. 

The following ointment should be applied round the eye, 
avoiding the raw or tender surface of a blister or leech-bites: 
Extract of belladonna, 80 grains; prepared lard, 1 ounce. Rub 
together. 



324 MEDICINAL. 

Inflammation of the Cornea, or Transparent Circu- 
lar Membrane in Front of the Eye. — Symptoms. — This 
membrane first appears slightly hazy. This haziness increases, 
and the membrane becomes slightly opaque. Minute white 
specks may be observed on the membrane; these, after a time, 
prove to be ulcers. Sometimes a yellow spot appears. This 
is a small quantity of matter which is contained between the 
layers of the membrane. If this is discharged inside the 
cornea, it falls to the lower edge, and may be seen there like a 
yellow crescent. It may, however, ulcerate through in front, 
and be thus discharged. Ulcers of the cornea, when healed, 
always leaves an opaque white spot. Sometimes they perfor- 
ate the membrane, and thus allow of the escape of the fluid 
which is contained at the back of it. The eye all round the 
cornea is bloodshot; there is a bright scarlet ring close round 
the edge of the cornea. 

Treatment. — This should be much the same as recom- 
mended for rheumatic ophthalmia, with this exception — instead 
of the iodide of potassium mixture, recommended for that 
disorder, the following will be found more useful in this case: 
Sulphate of quinine, 16 grains; dilute sulphuric acid, i 
drachm; syrup of orange peel, i ounce; water to make 8 
ounces. Mix. Two tablespoonfuls should be taken three 
times a day. 

Inflammation of the Iris, or Colored Band Round 
the Pupil of the Eye. — The iris is a muscle, and is largely 
supplied with blood by numbers of minute vessels, and there- 
fore very liable to inflammation. The forms of inflammation 
which attack the iris may by divided into two kinds, ist, that 
from which arises after injuries, over-exertion of the eyes, 
cold, and other common causes of inflammation. This is 
called Idiopathic Iritis. 2nd, those forms which are caused by 
the poison of constitutional diseases. This is called Specific 
Iritis. 

Symptoms. — The symptoms b©?u o» diopathic and specific 
iritis are mainly the same, with ili.!. exception — the symptoms 
of the latter kind show themselves rather more slowly than 
those of the former. There is a change of color in the iris 
itself, causing it to lose its brilliant appearance; it becomes 
muddy, or acquires a tint which is form, id by the mixture of 
red with the original color. There is loss of power of motion, 
whereby the sharp outline forming the pupil is destroyed and 
becomes irregular. The substance of the iris is swollen, there 
appear little brown lumps or nodules on the surface of it, 
3?»d these sometimes increase in size, so much as to block up 
1'h e pupil. There is severe pain all ound the ball of the eye, 



MEDICINAL. 325 

affecting the cheek and temple. This pain becomes worse at 

night. 

Treatment. — Idiopathic iritis: Three or four leeches 
should be applied to the temple; the light should be carefully 
excluded by means of a shade covering the eye; perfect rest 
of the eye is important. The patient should take for some 
little time a low diet of broth, bread, and gruel, or. barley 
water. 

The eyebrow should be painted with extract or ointment 
of belladonna. 

One of the following pills should be taken every six hours 
by adults: Calomel, 3 grains; powdered opium, 3 grains; 
confection of roses, a sufficient quantity to make a small mass, 
to be divided into six pills. The effect of these pills on the 
gums should be carefully watched. 

Dislocations. — The difference between dislocations and 
fractures is that in fracture the bone is broken, while in dis- 
location it is, as a consequence of some violence, forced from 
its connection with the neighboring bones. As we speak of 
compound fractures, or those which are accompanied by a 
wound 9 simple fractures, or those in which there is no wound 
of the skin, so in dislocations, these may be either simple or 
compound. 

It is not always an easy matter to distinguish between a 
fracture and a dislocation. In certain forms of fracture, there 
is no crepitation or grating of the ends of the bones to be 
detected, as the same violence which breaks the bone drives 
the fragments forcibly together, and causes them to become 
impacted, or fixed together. In fractures about the region of 
a joint, the crepitation would be a main symptom by which to 
distinguish this injury from dislocation. Where it is absent, it 
is almost impossible for a non-professional person to come to a 
decision as to the real nature of the accident. Should, how- 
ever, surgical assistance not be obtainable, the best plan to 
pursue will be to pull steadily at the injured limb until it 
resumes its shape and length. By this means, if the bones be 
dislocated, it may be possible to reduce the dislocation, and if 
fractured, it may, by loosening the bones, cause the distinctive 
sound of crepitation, and other signs of fracture, to be dis- 
tinguished. 

Dislocation of the Jaw.— This may readily be detected 
by the imbecile appearance it gives the patient. The mouth 
is fixed wide open, and the saliva runs out at the corners. It 
is impossible to close the mouth, the patient making ineffectual 
efforts to articulate. 

Treatment. — The patient should be seated in a high- 



326 MEDICINAL. 

backed chair, or against a wall, in such a manner that his head 
may lean against the back of the chair, or the wall. The 
operator should then wrap a couple of napkins round his 
thumbs, one on each, and when by this means they are well 
protected, he should place them as far back along the jaw 
inside the mouth as he can reach. He should then press with 
his thumbs downward and backwards, and at the same time 
raise the chin with his ringers. The bone will return to its 
place with a snap. The advantage of having wrapped the 
thumbs well round with napkins will then be experienced; for 
the teeth come together very sharpfy, and, were the thumbs not 
well, protected, bites of a severe character might be suffered. 
Another method pursued for the reduction -of this dislocation 
is to place a couple of corks between the back teeth, raising 
the chin, and making the corks act as a fulcrum between the 
jaws. 

Dislocation of the Shoulder Joint. — Th':- may be 
distinguished by the evident lengthening of the arm and flat- 
tening of the shoulder. If compared with the other side there 
will be found a dent, or depression, just under the point of 
the shoulder. Frequently the round head of the arm-bone 
may be felt in the armpit. 

Treatment. — The patient should sit on the ground and 
lean his shoulder against a sofa or couch; the operator should 
mount the couch, and, having removed his boot, should place 
his foot gently on the patient's injured shoulder; at the same 
time he should raise the dislocated arm upwards, gently 
increasing the pressure made by his foot on the shoulder. By 
these means the bone may soon be felt to slip into the socket 
with a jerk. When this is effected, the arm should be gradu- 
ally restored to its original oosition, and there fastened by 
bandaging for about a week. 

Hip Joint. — This dislocation may be recognized by the 
deformity of the limb, the inability to stand on the injured 
extremity, and, perhaps, the head of the bone may be detected 
out of its place under the skin. 

Treatment. — The plan to be pursued is to place the 
patient on his back, the operator taking off his boot, and 
placing his heel between the patient's thighs, to make a steady 
pull at the foot till the bone slips into the socket. The great 
obstacle to success in this kind of proceeding, is the muscular 
resistance offered by the patient involuntarily. To overcome, 
or rather to divert this, the patient's attention should, if pos- 
sible, be called away to something else, or, if this is of no 
avail, ipecacuanha should be given in doses of one-fourth to 



MEDICINAL. 327 

one grain every quarter of an hour. By its nauseating pro- 
perties it debilitates the patient and relaxes the muscles. 

Compound Dislocations. — These, consisting of fractures 
also, are, of course, more dangerous than simple dislocations, 
and are rendered very serious if complicated with fracture. 

Treatment. — The bones should be replaced as nearly as 
possible in their natural position, as in the case of simple dislo- 
cation. Any bleeding should be stopped, either by the appli- 
cation of cold water, or, if that is insufficient, bleeding arteries 
should be sought and tied. (See Haemorrhage.) When the 
bleeding has been checked, the wound should be searched for 
splinters of bone, which should be removed by the forceps. 
The wound should then be dressed and splints applied, as 
recommended under Compound Fractures. 

Dog" Bites. — These are very much, though somewhat un- 
necessarily, dreaded, on account of the fear which exists that 
they may be followed by hydrophobia. When it is considered 
how many people are bitten by dogs, and how few people have 
hydrophobia, it will be seen of what groundless nature is that 
fear. 

The best method of treatment which can be pursued in dog 
bites is to make a free application of lunar caustic to the bite. 

Hydrophobia. — Although, as above stated, hydrophobia is 
excessively rare, its occasional occurrence cannot be doubted; 
it will therefore be advisable not to neglect the above remedies, 
as there is no doubt that the confidence inspired by their adop- 
tion soothes alarm, and prevents nervous excitement conse- 
quent on fright alone. 

Treatment. — Should hydrophobia come on, chloroform, 
Indian hemp, and opium are the only means that offer any 
chance of allaying the symptoms. These drugs may, in such 
a case, be given in larger doses and at shorter intervals than 
under other circumstances, watching carefully their effects. 
(For doses, see List of Medicines.) 

Dropsy. — This is purely a symptom of disease of some 
internal organ, or is the result of the debility and deterioration 
of the blood in certain eruptive fevers. As its nature and 
treatment occur in speaking of the diseases of various organs, 
it is unnecessary to speak here what is said under those several 
headings. 

Drowning, or Suspended Animation. — The following in- 
structions, compiled by the Royal National Lifeboat Institu- 
tion, are the result of a wide field of experience: 

E.EST0E&.1IVE Treatment. — Send immediately for medi- 



328 MEDICINAL. 

cal assistance, blankets and dry clothing, but proceed to treat 
the patient instantly, on the spot, in the open air, with the face 
downwards, whether on shore or afloat; exposing the face, 
neck, and chest to the wind, except in severe weather, and 
removing all tight clothing from the neck and chest, especially 
the braces. The points to be aimed at are — first, and imme- 
diately, the restoration of breathing; and, secondly, after 
breathing is restored, the promotion of warmth and circula- 
tion. The efforts to restore breathing must be commenced 
immediately and energetically, and persevered in for one or 
two hours, or until a medical man has pronounced that life is 
extinct. Efforts to promote warmth and circulation, beyond 
removing the wet clothes and drying the skin, must not be 
made until the first appearance of natural breathing. For if 
the circulation of the blood be induced before breathing has 
commenced, the restoration of life will be endangered. 

To Restore Breathing. — Place the patient on the floor 
or ground, with the face downwards, and one of the arms 
under the forehead, in which position all fluids will more readily 
escape by the mouth, and the tongue itself will fall forward, 
leaving the entrance into the windpipe free. Assist the opera- 
tion by wiping and cleansing the mouth. 

If satisfactory breathing commences, use the treatment pre- 
scribed below to promote warmth. If there be only slight 
breathing, or no breathing, or if the breathing fail, then, to ex- 
cite breathing, turn the patient well and instantly on the side, 
supporting the head; and excite the nostrils with snuff, harts- 
horn, and smelling-salts, or tickle the throat with a feather, if 
they are at hand. Rub the chest and face warm, and dash 
cold water, or cold and hot water alternately, on them. If 
there be no success, lose not a moment, but instantly — to imi- 
tate breathings-replace the patient on the face, raising and 
supporting the chest well on folded coat or other article of 
dress. Turn the body very gently on the side and a little 
beyond, and then briskly on the face, back again; repeating 
these measures cautiously, efficiently, and persevei'ngly, about 
fifteen times in a minute, or once every four or five seconds, 
occasionally varying the side. On each occasion that the body 
is replaced on the face, make uniform, but efficient, pressure, 
with brisk movement on the back between and below the 
shoulder-blades or bones on each side, removing the pressure 
immediately before turning the body on the side. During the 
whole operation, let one person attend solely to the movements 
of the head and of the arm placed under it. Whilst the above 
operations are being proceeded with, dry the hands and feet, 
and as soon as dry clothing or blankets can be procured, strip 
the body, and cover, or gradually reclothe, it, but taking care 
not to interfere with the efforts to restore breathing. 



MEDICINAL. ,329 

Should these efforts not prove successful, m the course of 
from two to five minutes, proceed to imitate breathing by Dr. 
Silvester's method, recommended by the Royal Humane So- 
ciety, as follows: Place the patient on the back on a fiat sur- 
face, inclined a little upwards from the feet; raise and support 
the head and shoulders on a small, firm cushion or folding arti- 
cle of dress placed under the shoulder-blades. Draw forward 
the patient's tongue, and keep it projecting beyond the lips — 
an elastic band over the tongue and under the chin will answer 
this purpose, or a piece of string or tape may be tied round 
them, or by raising the lower jaw the teeth may be made to 
retain the tongue in that position. Remove all tight clothing 
from above the neck and chest, especially the braces. To imi- 
tate the movement of breathing: Standing at the patient's 
head, grasp the arms just above the elbows, and draw the arms 
gently and steadily. upwards above the head, and keep them 
stretched upwards for two seconds. (By this means air is 
drawn into the lungs). Then turn down the patient's arms and 
press them gently and firmly for two seconds against the sides 
of the chest. (By this means air is pressed out of the lungs.) 
Repeat these measures alternately, deliberately, and persever- 
ingly, about fifteen times a minute until a spontaneous effort 
to respire is perceived, immediately upon which cease to imitate 
the movements of breathing, and proceed to induce circulation 
and warmth. 

Treatment after Natural Breathing has been Re- 
stored. — Commence rubbing the limbs upward, with firm, 
grasping pressure and energy, using handkerchiefs, flannels, 
etc. (By this measure the blood is propelled along the veins 
towards the heart.) The friction must be continued under the 
body by the application of hot flannels, bottles, or bladders of 
v hot water, heated bricks, etc., to the' pit of the stomach, the 
armpits, between the thighs, and to the soles of the feet. If 
the patient has been carried to a house after respiration has 
been restored, be careful to let the air play freely about the 
room. On the restoration of life, a teaspoonful of warm water 
should be given; and then, if the power of swallowing have 
returned, small quantities of wine, warm brandy and water, or 
coffee, should be administered. The patient should be kept 
in bed, and a disposition to sleep encouraged. 

Appearances which Generally Accompany Death. — 
Breathing and heart's action cease entirely; the eyelids are 
generally half closed, the pupils dilated, the jaws clinched, the 
fingers semi-contracted, the tongue approaches to the under 
edges of the lips, and these, as well as the nostrils, are covered 
with a frothy mucus. Coldness and pallor of surface in- 
creases. 



330 MEDICINAL. 

Cautions. — Prevent unnecessary crowding of persons 
round the body, especially if in an apartment. Avoid rough 
usage, and do not allow the body to remain on the back, unless 
the tongue is secured. Under no circumstances hold the body 
up by the feet. On no account place the body in a warm bath 
unless under medical direction, and even then it should only 
be employed as a momentary excitant. 

Dysentery, Bloody Flux. — This is an inflammation of the 
larger and lower intestine, more commonly met with in hot and 
unhealthy climates, and on board of ships. It is ushered in 
with almost incessant desire to go to stool. The motions, hard 
and lumpy at first, become little more than blood and mucus, 
and are voided with painful straining. The pulse is rapid and 
feeble, the skin hot, the countenance anxious, the patient rest- 
less. In the worst cases the disease becomes chronic, and the 
patient is worn out by the pain and fever, or sinks rapidly into 
a state of collapse. 

Treatment. — A condition essential to the success of treat- 
ment is the removal of the patient, if possible, from the sphere 
of morbid influences that have predisposed him to the disease. 
Hence the importance of removal to a healthy situation, at the 
same time that the strictest care and temperance in mode of life 
be observed, and the protection of the surface of the body by 
warm flannel clothing. The early and acute symptoms may 
be subdued by hot baths, hot fomentations, and turpentine 
stupes to the abdomen. Half an ounce of castor oil should be 
given, and after it has acted and cleared away any hard motions, 
five grains of Dover's powder should be taken every four or 
six hours, according to the urgency of the case; with two 
grains of mercury and chalk if the motions still contain lumps 
of hardened faeces. The painful straining at stool is relieved 
by the injection into the bowel of twenty drops of laudanum 
mixed in a wineglassful of cold gruel or starch. A gentle 
aperient at the end of a few days will assist the above remedies 
by removing morbid secretion and bloody mucus. A nourish- 
ing but light diet should be taken, avoiding all hard substances, 
and for sometime avoiding solids of any kind until the healthy 
action of the intestines is restored. 

The chronic form of the disease requires the continual use 
of metallic astringents with opium — e. g., Sulphate of copper, 
3 grains; powdered opium, 2 grains; bread crumbs, sufficient 
to form a small mass. To be divided into six pills, one to be 
taken every six hours. Or: Acetate of lead, 12 grains; pow- 
dered opium, 2 grains. Made into pills in the same way, and 
one to be taken every six hours. 

Ear-ache.— Symptoms.— Deafness, pain and noise in the 



MEDICINAL. 331 

ear, are oftei^ ^loductti by the mere accumulation of wax in 
the ear. 

Treatment. — It will generally suffice to clear out the pas- 
sage by syringing. A large syringe and plenty of water should 
be used. If not relieved in this way, the application of 
repeated mustard plasters behii d the ears will have a good 
effect. 

Ear, Inflammation in. — In Ini »jrnal Ear. — Inflammation 
in the ear will be inferred from the occurrence of a severe, dull 
pain in the head, where the ear k placed, accompanied with 
confusion or loss of hearing, a considerable degree of fever, 
and even of delirium, if the inflarn nation be seated in the 
internal ear. 

Treatment.— This, in the first ».ase, should be active — 
e. g., six or eight leeches should be applied behind the ear, fol- 
lowed by hot poultices or fomentations. Brisk purgation 
should be adopted, while at the same time pain may be relieved 
by opiates taken internally. 

Inflammation in the passage should be treated by poultic- 
ing, and a few drops of laudanum in the passage. 

Epilepsy — Consists in the concurrence of the sudden loss 
of consciousness, with more or less convulsive movement of 
the limbs. In propo.rtion as the two are slight, and the con- 
vulsion wanting, the disease has been divided into two forms, 
called by French writers the petit mal and the grand mal. 

The grand mal, the full epileptic fit, is the sudden loss of 
consciousness and of muscular power, so that, with a shriek, 
the patient falls to the ground senseless, and is violently con- 
vulsed in the limbs, with great distortion of the countenance, 
lividity of the face, frothing at the mouth, the eyes staring and 
pupils large, and not answering to the stimulus of light, the 
breathing labored, appears even to be suspended, while the 
heart beating so tumultuously that the pulse cannot be counted. 
In consequence of the tongue bemg protruded, it is bitten in 
the violent, convulsive movements of the jaws. The excretions 
often pass involuntarily. This, the full fit, seldom lasts longer 
than a few minutes. When it passes off it leaves the patient in 
a drowsy state, in which he may remain for several hours. The 
fit may recur during this sleeping state. 

The slighter form frequently consists of little more than a 
slight and rapidly passing condition of unconsciousness or 
mental confusion, with a varying degree of want of muscular 
power, so that there may be some unsteadiness of gait or 
imperfection of vision, and numbness of parts of the limbs. 
This form usually passes away in a few seconds, and may not 
well be perceptible to those around, the patient himself being 
scarcely aware that anything has been amiss with him. 



332 MEDICINAL. 

Symptoms. — There are certain, or rather they should be 
called uncertain, premonitory symptoms that sometimes usher 
in an attack of epilepsy. The most known of these is a pecul- 
iar and indescribable sensation, originating in the extremities 
and passing up towards the head; this has been termed the 
" epileptic aura," or vapor. Other indefinite derangements, 
referred to the nervous system, frequently precede the fit; but, 
in by far the majority of cases, the fit is sudden and without 
warning of any kind. A great many fits may occur daily. 

Epileptic fits are somewhat difficult sometimes to distinguish 
from hysterical fits, and from the convulsive movements of 
apoplexy. In the former case tho diagnosis may be made by 
considering the history of the case, and the absence or pres- 
ence of hysterical laughing and crying. From apoplexy it may 
be distinguished scmetimes by the dilated state of" the pupils 
in epilepsy, and by the profound snoring and paralysis that 
commonly attend apoplexy. 

Treatment. — Protect the patient during the fit from 
injuring himself. Loosen the dress around the neck and waist, 
and place him on a bed or couch, with the head and shoulders 
slightly raised. Sprinkle the head and face with cold water. 
It is in the intervals of the fits that curative or preventive treat- 
ment must be pursued. The exciting causes of dentition, 
worr.^, constipation, intemperance, indulgence of passions, etc., 
should be sedulously avoided or remedied. Tonics may be 
given, and every measure that can improve the general health 
should be put in force. 

Fainting. — Swooning occurs generally from sudden shock, 
or from large and sudcjn loss of blood, or any other cause of 
depression, mental or bodily, such as profuse diarrhoea and 
affections of the heart. 

Treatment. — The patient should be laid fiat on a couch 
or on the ground, with the head as low as possible; the face 
should be sprinkled or dashed with cold water, free access of 
fresh air being secured. If able to swallow, let some stimulants 
be given, such as a small quantity of wine, brandy, or spirits of 
salvolatile, and apply strong smelling salts to the nostrils. 

Fractures. — These are, for convenience of description, 
divided into several kinds. 

i. Simple Fracture. — The bone being merely broken in 
one place, without any wound of the skin at the seat of the 
fracture. 

2. Compound Fractures — In which, over and above the 
fracture of the bone, there is a wound in the skin, through 
which, perhaps, a portion of the broken bone may be forced. 



MEDICINAL. 333 

3. Comminuted Fracture. — The bone being broken into 
several pieces. 

4. Compound Comminuted Fractures. — The bone not 
only being broken into several pieces, but a wound also exist- 
ing in connection with the fracture. 

When a severe accident happens to a limb, it is often diffi- 
cult to say what is its exact nature — whether a bone is broken 
or bent, the joint sprained, or the bone dislocated. The fol- 
lowing few points may assist in the detection of fracture, if it 
exist: 

Deformity. — This, with shortening of the limb, is some- 
times so obvious that there can be no mistake, as, when the 
arm is so broken that its firmness is lost and the broken por- 
tions move on each other. Or when the leg is broken, the 
fracture is generally rendered evident by the outline of the 
shin bone. In the latter case, also, as in the case of the frac- 
ture of the thigh-bone, if the patient be laid on his back the 
foot of the broken limb will be seen to be wanting its support, 
and will fall to one side or the other. The loss of power over 
the limb will also be some guide, though this will be noticed 
also in dislocations. 

If, however, the limb supposed to have sustained a fracture 
be carefully taken hold of by both hands and gently moved 
about, it will, if broken, be found to give way at some one 
point, where also what is technically termed crepitus, or grat- 
ing, of the broken ends of the bone may be felt. 

General Treatment of Fractures. — The one most 
important point in the treatment of broken bones is to secure 
absolute rest of the member to which the fracture may have 
happened. The utmost care is required in removing the 
patient from the spot where the accident has occurred to his 
bed, or more harm may be done in the removal than was done in 
the first instance. From a simple fracture the injury may 
become compound, or even comminuted, if care and gentle 
handling be overlooked. In all cases the bones should be 
brought as nearly as possible into their natural relative posi- 
tions. This is called "setting" the bone. "Setting" the bone 
is effected by one person steadying the portion of the limb 
attached to the body, while a second person firmly but 
gently pulls on the other end until it resumes its proper 
position. The difficulty of effecting this will, depend much 
upon the direction in which the bone is broken, whether trans- 
versely or obliquely. 

Splints. — This being done, the next thing is to take means 






334 



MEDICINAL. 



for keeping them in position. This is to be effected by a 
"splint" of some kind. Where proper splints, made by surgi- 
cal instrument makers, cannot be procured, there are many 
things often at hand which may be improvised info what is 
wanted. Thus, long, straight straws, placed and bandaged on, 
side by side, will form a clean and handy splint. Pieces of 
straight wood, cut to proper length and shape, and covered 
with a soft pad; pasteboard, or any other stiff material, fastened 
on with bandages, not too tightly. When the ends of the bone 
in a simple fracture are easily set into their normal positions, a 
good and ready splint may be made out of plaster of Paris, or 
gum and chalk, or white of egg and flour. Either of these two 
last being spread upon strips of rag, and several strips laid 
one over the other, will soon dry into a case as hard as board, 
and from which it may not be necessary to remove the limb 
until the cure is complete. Before putting this or any other 
form of splint on the broken limb, the skin should be well 
washed with warm soap and water. 

If the fracture be compound, a portion ot the bandage must 
be so arranged as to allow of water dressing and the drainage 
of discharges. In the case of comminuted compound frac- 
tures, if any pieces of loose broken bone be visible, they should 
at once be removed by the help of forceps. Diluted Condy's 
fluid, or carbolic acid and oil (one part of acid to twenty-eight 
of oil), will be found of great use in dressing compound frac- 
tures, as they destroy the injurious effects and foetid odor of 
the discharge. 

-If both bones be broken, a splint and band- 
age as follows: Care must be taker 
that the palm of the hand is flat t( 
the chest, with the thumb uppermost 
Or it may be put up in strips of 
linen thickly smeared with a paint 
of chalk and gum, or eggs and flour. 
Unless severe pain occur the band- 
age need not be removed under four 
weeks. A handkerchief, adjusted as 
,a sling, should support the arm. 

If one bone of the arm only be 
broken, the other bone will act, in 
some measure, as a splint to keep the 
broken bone in its position. 



Arm Bones.- 




MEDICINAL. 



335 




If the upper or large bone of the arm be broken, the lower 
arm, from the elbow, should be 
supported in a sling; or the 
shaft of the bone being bound 
by two or four splints, may be 
bandaged to the side of the 
body, as shown in the cut. 

Fracture of Arm Above the Elbow. — This can gener- 
ally be recognized by the deformity which it produces. The 
bone should be placed in its proper position in the following 
manner: One person should steady the shoulder while another 
person should firmly draw the elbow downwards, until the 

arm is straightened. When this result 
is obtained, the bones should be kept 
in their proper position by means of 
four splints, which should be well pad- 
ded and applied round the arm; these 
should be firmly fastened with a cou- 
ple of straps, or bands of adhesive 
plaster. Before the splints are appli- 
ed, the arm should be well washed 
with soap and water, and dusted with 
powdered starch or oxide of zinc. 
It is advisable not to put the splints 
on too tight at first, in order to 
allow for swelling. They may be 
tightened after a day or so. Frac- 
tures of this bone require the splints 
to be kept on for six weeks. 

Fracture of the Arm Below the Elbow, or Forearm. 
—Both the bones of the forearm are generally broken to- 
gether; but it sometimes happens that only one of them is 
broken. In this case it is not always easy to discern thtf 
nature of the accident, as the uninjured bone will act as a splinJ 
to the other, and help to disguise the ordinary symptoms o/ 
fracture. Crepitation, may, however, generally be detected by 
taking in one hand the arm at or below the elbow, and gently 
rotating- the hand on the arm. The bones, if displaced, 
should be set, that is, replaced in their proper position, by 
gently drawing the hand in a straight line from the elbow, 
which, for that purpose, should be held by an assistant. When 
the bones are set, the arm should be well washed with soap 
and water, and dusted with powdered starch or oxide of zinc. 
Two well padded splints should then be applied on each side 
of the arm, and strapped down with plaster. After this, the 
whole arm should e placed in a sling, taking that it is 




336 MEDICINAL. 

always carried with the palm of the hand towards the bo ay, 
that is, with the thumb uppermost. The reason of this is that, 
in that position the two bones are furthest apart, and there is 
no danger of the wrong bones uniting. The splints should 
not be too tight to begin with, as the arm will swell a little at 
first; they should, however, be gradually tightened as the 
swelling subsides. The most common fracture in this region 
occurs just above the wrist, and in this the deformity is very 
great. 

The splints in fractures of both bones of the forearm 
should not be removed under five weeks; if, however, only 
one bone is broken, four weeks will suffice. 




miibTOwilM 




Fractures of the Fingers and Hands.— When any of 
the bones of the fingers are broken, they are best treated by 
placing the whole hand, sandwich fashion, between two well 
padded splints, strapping them together by means of leather 
straps or adhesive plaster. When the bones in the middle of 
the palm of the hand are broken, the patient should be made 
to grasp a ball of tow, or cotton-wool, and the hand should be 
bandaged in that position; but if either of the outside bones 
are broken, the hand should be put up as described under 
" Broken Fingers." 

Fractures of the Thigh. — These may be recognized 
by the great deformity, the limb being generally shortened, 
the inability of the patient to stand on the injured leg, and 
the unnatural mobility of the limb. The proper treatment of 
fracture of this bone can scarcely be efficiently applied by a 
non-professional person. 

Fracture of Leg Below the Knee. — In this region 
there are two bones; one, which is commonly called the shin- 
bone, may be distinctly felt down the front of the leg, and for 
about an inch on the inside of the leg. The other, which is 
much smaller, is on the outside of the leg, and forms the outer 
ankle. It can only be felt distinctly in two spots, the one where 
it forms the prominence of the ankle, and the other where it is 
attached, just below the knee-joint. In the intermediate 
space it is embedded in the muscles, and, except with pereons 
of exceptionally small calves, cannot be detected. For t.b.e 
above reasons it will be seen that fractures of this bone are t'ai 
more difficult to detect than are fractures of the shin bon», 
whilst fractures of both bones are comparatively easy o* 



MEDICINAL. 



337 



detection from the deformity they cause. In fractures of both 
bones, or of the shin-bone alone, the patient should be placed 
in bed on his back, with the broken leg supported upon a pil- 
low, and should remain so until any swelling of the leg has 
gone down. If only the outer, or smaller, bone is broken, a 
few days rest will allow of the application of egg and flour, or 
gum and chalk bandage. 

The larger bone, or both, being broken, a well padded 
splint may be applied up each side of the leg, extending to the 
foot, and bound on with a calico bandage, or by leather 
straps. The splint on the outer side must be cut away so as 
not to exert undue pressure on the ankle bone. A cross-piece 
may be fixed so as to support the sole of the foot at a right 
angle to the leg, by means of a few turns of bandage. Before 
the splints are finally bandaged on, care must be taken that the 
bones of the leg are placed in a straight position, and as nearly 
as possible to their natural position. This may be judged of 
by comparing the relative positions of the great toes. The 
setting of the bones may be effected by an assistant holding 
the thigh steady, while firm but gentle extension is made from 
the foot. If there be no displacement of the broken bones, 
the use of starch and egg, or gum and chalk bandages will 
give a firm support to the limb. 




Fracture of the Knee Cap. — This may be distinctly 
felt over the knee joint by the space between the broken edges, 
and by the loss of power in extending the leg. 

Treatment. — The limb should be put quite straight, and 
raised on a pillow. The patient should keep on his back. By 
these means the two portions of the bones will be brought 
as near to each other as possible. There will be great swelling 
of the part, which should be treated with cold water dressing. 
When this has subsided, two handkerchiefs should be placed 
round the leg, one above the upper fragment, and the other 
below the lower one, and these should be connected by pieces 
of tape. The handkerchiefs may be gradually drawn nearer 
and nearer together. The nearer they approach each other, 
the nearer the two fragments will come together, and the pieces 
will be firmly knit together. This position and bandaging 

22 



MEDICINAL. 



should be maintained for a month, at the end of which time 
the patient should be allowed to move the limb gently until he 
regains the use of the limb. 

Broken Ribs. — The best method of detection of this 
injury is to place the hand over the painful spot, and to make 
the patient breathe as deeply as possible. By this means crepi- 
tation or grating caused by the rubbing of the fractured ends 
of the bone together, may be sometimes detected; but as it is 
by no means certain that this can be always detected, and as it 
is the only sign by which a broken rib can absolutely be 
detected, it will be advisable to treat in all cases of doubt as if 
there were a fracture. 

Treatment. — The treatment of broken ribs consists main- 
ly in procuring rest for the ribs. This is done by firmly band- 
aging with a calico bandage, three or four inches wide, the 
entire chest, so as to diminish the movement of the ribs in 
breathing. The patient should be kept in bed quietly on his 
back for a few days after the accident. Any pain should be 
allayed by Dover's powder or tincture of opium. If severe 
pain or distress of breathing come on, it probably results from 
pleurisy. 

Broken Collar-bone. — When this bone is broken the 
patient cannot raise his arm without pain. The arm drops, and 
the patient supports it with the other hand; the shoulder also 
drops forward and inwards. On feeling gently along the col- 
lar-bone, comparing it at the same time with the same bone on 
the opposite side, the inequality of line at the point of fracture 
may often be detected. 

Treatment. — The method of treatment to be pursued is 
as follows: The shoulder should 
be raised and pressed gently 
backward; a pad should be plac- 
ed in the armpit. This pad 
should be about two inches thick, 
and is best made with a pair 
of stockings rolled up. A figure- 
of-eight bandage should then be 
applied, as in the figure. The 
arm on the injured- side should 
he bound to the side with an- 
other bandage, and the hand and 
forearm placed in a sling. This 
bone should be kept in this po- 
sition for four weeks, the band- 
age not being moved during 
that time, unless they slip or 
loosen, in which case they should 
be carefully tightened 




MEDICINAL. 339. 

Bones of the Nose. — The broken fragments should be 
replaced as near as possible in their proper position. This may- 
be conveniently done by raising them from the inside by means 
of a probe. If the fracture is compound — that is to say, if 
there is a wound communicating with the broken bones — this 
should be searched for splinters of bone, which should be 
removed by means of the forceps. Then apply water dressing. 

Compound Fractures. — These are fractures in which 
there is a wound communicating with the broken bone. In 
cases of this kind the fractured limb after being set should not 
be encased entirely with splints, but a space should be left for 
dressing the wound, which should be done as follows: If there 
are any pieces of bone loose, or nearly so, in the wound, they 
should be removed by means of the forceps. The wound 
should then be dressed with a piece of soft linen rag steeped 
in the following mixture: Carbolic acid, liquified by heat, 50 
minims; olive oil to 4 fluid ounces; shake up, and mix thor- 
oughly. This rag should be applied in such a manner as to 
exclude all bubbles of air; the best way to do this is to cut the 
rag square and large enough to cover the entire wound — it does 
not signify if it overlaps the edges of the wound; soak it in oil, 
and then take hold of two of the corners of it and draw it 
slowly over the wound until it is covered. Any stray bubbles 
of air which may remain from the inequality of the surface of 
the wound should be gently pressed out by the fingers. This 
dressing should be changed every four or six hours. The limb 
should be kept cool. 

The patient's health should be carefully watched, as in these 
cases fever very often comes on. Should there be any shiver- 
ing, an aperient should be given. Thirst should be relieved by 
iced lemonade or soda-water, and a saline draught should be 
taken about three times a day. The following will be found 
most useful: Take of solution of acetate of ammonia, 1 
drachm; sweet spirits of nitre, 20 minims: water to 1 fluid 
ounce. Mix. A compound fracture is always longer in 
recovering than a simple one, the process of restoration some- 
times extending over many months, through the frequent 
falling off of small fragments of bone, each of which will keep 
up a discharge of matter until it is removed, either by the use 
of the forceps, or by the extrusion of the pus. 

Ganglion.— Symptoms. — A swelling upon one of the joints, 
most frequently met with on the back of the wrist. Its seat is 
the sheath of the tendons. 

Treatment. — Hard, steady pressure should be made upon 
it with the thumb of the operator's hand, that holds the arm 
firmly at the same time. If the pressure be made hard enough, 



340 MEDICINAL. 

and kept up long enough, the tumor will generally burst and 
the fluid be dispersed. A tight bandage should be applied 
immediately afterwards and kept on a few days. Sometimes, 
if the ganglion be small, it will give way under a smart, sharp 
blow with a book. 

Goitre. — Derbyshire Neck. — Bronchocele. — Symptoms. — 
Peculiar enlargement of a gland that is situated at the front and 
sides of the neck. The swelling, at first slight, and only 
amounting to a trifling degree of fulness, is prone to increase 
rapidly, and to cause inconvenience in breathing, as well as 
considerable disfigurement by its bulk. 

Treatment. — The treatment consists in the amendment of 
the general health, by removal from any locality where the 
malady is known to prevail, or by remedies directed to correct 
irregularities of menstruation, to which also it is sometimes 
attributable. The best medicinal agents are iodine and steel, 
alone, or in their various forms of combination, with the exter- 
nal application of iodine as tincture, painted on the enlargement 
night and morning, until the skin becomes too irritable to bear 
it. The application can be resumed when the skin has 
recovered, or the iodine may be applied as ointment thus: 
Ointment of iodine of potash, i ounce; ointment of idoine of 
mercury, one half drachm. Mix. Apply night and morning. 

Gout. — Symptoms. — An attack of gout is generally preceded 
by disturbed digestive functions, broken sleep and feverish- 
ness. The symptoms of an attack generally come on in the 
course of the night. Severe throbbing pain in some joint, 
generally in the joint at the ball of the great toe, accompanied 
with great tenderness, sufficient to prevent the patient from 
bearing the least movement of the bedclothes over the joint 
affected. With these symptoms there is a feverish condition, 
with thirst, rapid pulse and furred tongue. The joint affected 
is red and swollen, the pains become more and more acute, 
extending sometimes up the leg, and the fever becomes more 
severe. This goes on until morning, when a perspiration 
breaks out, and the paroxysm is over. It, however, probably 
occurs again the next night, subsides, and recurs at intervals. 
The hands are liable to attacks of gout, and, after repeated 
recurrences, the finger joints become the seat of deposits of a 
white concretion, called " chalk stones," and are thus rendered 
stiff and useless. The disease may become chronic if not 
guarded against by careful dieting. 

~~i The heart or brain are either of them liable to suffer in 
this disease. In the event of the heart becoming the seat of 
an attack, there is pain, with severe palpitation and difficulty 
of breathing. Nervous symptoms, such as headache, and 



MEDICINAL. 341 

sometimes paralysis, or even apoplexy, may attend an attack 
of gout, and show that the brain is affected by the disease. 
Gout and rheumatism are often confounded. To distinguish 
between them the following points should be borne in mind: 
Acute gout is generally confined to one joint, and the pain is 
more acute. The constitutional antecedents differ. Gout is 
an hereditary disease. In the chronic form, these diseases are 
intermingled with each other, are not easy to distinguish in 
their acute form. There is a disease called rheumatic gout 
which combines the two so closely as to render necessary the 
name applied to it. To distinguish chronic gout from chronic 
rheumatism, it is necessary to remember that gout is heredi- 
tary, rheumatism is not generally so. The history of the 
attacks, the habits of life of the patient, must also be taken 
into account. If the patient is indolent, self-indulgent, and 
given to what are called the "pleasures of the table," the 
chances are that what he is suffering from is an attack of 
the gout. 

Treatment. — In a person ot the above habits, the pre- 
monitory attacks of indigestion, want of sleep, and feverish- 
ness, should be treated with three or four grains of mercurial 
pill (blue pill) at bed- time, and the following draught early the 
next morning: Powdered rhubarb, 40 grains; tartrate of pot- 
ash, 1 drachm; compound spirits of ammonia (sal volatile), one- 
half drachm; water to one and one-half ounce. Mix. 

The attack of gout should be treated as follows: If the 
pain be severe, and redness of the joint be excessive, a few 
leeches should be applied to the inflamed surface, but it will 
not always be necessary to apply them, as hot fomentations or 
poultices will be sufficient. A small blister raised near the 
inflamed joint, either by plaster or the "blistering liquid," will 
sometimes give speedy relief to the pain. When the pill and 
draught above advised have been taken, and the bowels are 
thoroughly cleansed, the following medicine may be given: 
Iodide of potassium, 40 grains; bicarbonate of potash, 2 
drachms; colchicum wine, 2 drachms; water to make 8 ounces. 
Mix. Take two tablespoonfuls three times a day. 

If there be want of sleep, compound ipecacuanha powder 
(Dover's powder) should be given in ten grain doses at bed' 
time; if the fever be great, antimonial powder (James's pow- 
der), combined as follows, will allay it, and relieve pain: Com- 
pound ipecacuanha powder, two and one-half grains; antimo- 1 
nial powder, three grains. Mix. Take one every four hours. 

Warm baths should be given every day while the attack 
lasts. At bed-time, a foot-bath of mustard and hot water givea 
comfort, especially if the feet be afterwards wrapped in cotton-i 
wool, and kept so until the swelling abates. 



m 



342 MEDICINAL. 

If the stomach become the seat of the attack, a mustard 
plaster should be applied on its region, and some narcotic and 
stimulant given — e. g., tincture of henbane and ammonia. If 
there be persistent severe headache, a plaster may be placed 
on the back of the neck, and may ward off more serious symp- 
toms. The diet should be carefully regulated during and after 
an attack of gout. Stimulating drinks and rich food should 
be avoided as much as the constitutional power will permit. 

The curative treatment of gout, if to be attained at all, 
must be aimed at during the intervals of the attack. To this 
end, careful and abstemious living, with exercise in the open 
air, are important means. 

Gravel, — Symptoms. — Pain in voiding urine, sometimes very 
severe in character, and extending from the loins down the 
front and inside of the thighs. A small portion of gravel, 
passing from the bladder, will often cause great difficulty in 
voiding the urine. A sediment, or small fragment of gravel, 
may be found deposited in the vessel after a paroxysm. 

TREATMENT.=During the paroxysm of pain, a hot bath 
will give relief, an opiate being taken at the same time. 

After the paroxysm is past, the morbid condition of the 
urine that gave rise to gravel should be corrected. If the 
sediment be red, alkaline medicines may be taken. (See List 
of Medicines.) 

Haemorrhage from the Bladder. — Symptoms. — The occur- 
rence of blood in the urine is readily perceived, and therefore 
requires no description; but as a symptom it is desirable that 
its several sources should be pointed out. If there be pains 
in the loins and a feeling of general illness, and the blood be 
equally diffused through the urine, or be accompanied with 
minute worm-like clots, the blood proceeds from the kidneys. 
Should the stream of urine be at first free from, or only 
slightly tinged with, blood, and the flow become more and 
more deeply colored, the inner surface of the bladder is most 
probably the source of the blood. If blood flows drop by drop 
without urine, the passage external to the bladder will be its 
source. 

Treatment. — If the blood be believed to come from the 
kidney, it will probably be the result of inflammation of that 
organ, or of some injury inflicted on the loins, or from the 
existence of a calculus or stone in the kidney. In either case 
absolute rest in bed must be enforced. Leeches, from eight to 
twelve, should be applied on the loins; or, if practicable, cup- 
ping on the same legion to the extent of eight or ten ounces will 
be preferable. The bowels should be freely opened by saline 
purgatives, such as Epsom salts, Glauber salts, or Rochelle 



MEDICINAL. 343 

Baits, at the same time, if there be pains in the loins, it may be 
relieved by five grains of Dover's powder, or extract of hen- 
bane, every four hours. 

If from the previous condition of the urine — i. e., if it has 
deposited gravel for some time — it is to be inferred that the 
bleeding is caused by a stone in the kidney, some alkali should 
be combined with the sedative, thus: Bicarbonate of potash, 
i drachm; tincture of henbane, one-half ounce; water to 6 
ounces. Mix, and give a sixth part every four hours while the 
pain lasts. 

If from the symptoms, before described, the haemorrhage 
appears to have occurred in the bladder itself, it will in all 
probability partake of the character of debility. In such cases 
the tincture of perchloride of iron or gallic acid or acetate of 
lead may be tried. 

Haemorrhoids (Piles). — Symptoms. — There are tender and 
painful swellings of the extremity of the bowels, the inconven- 
ience and troublesome irritation of which are aggravated by 
walking or riding. They are commonly caused or accompa- 
nied by constipation, at the same time the action of the bowels 
increase their soreness, and often cause them to bleed freely, 
while the subject of them is at stool. The color of the blood 
is usually of a bright red. 

Treatment. — As they originate usually in some defective 
state of the circulation in the liver and intestines, so they are 
to be relieved by correcting the state of those organs. This is 
most surely done, if the piles are of recent appearance, by a 
light diet, abstinence from stimulants, and the use of enemata 
of cold water. SimpL aperients, such as castor oil, or lenitive 
electuary, by diminishing fulness of the vessels of the lower 
bowel, are of great use. Bathing the parts with cold water 
affords relief. Considerable comfort is derived from the appli- 
cation of ' ointment of galls or any unirritating ointment, as 
these diminish the friction and pressure that cause sometimes 
much distress and discomfort. These latter applications are 
almost the only palliatives within reach of the non-professional 
for piles of long standing, and which assume to all intents and 
purposes the characters of tumors. 

Headache. — There are few more distressing complaints than 
a severe headache, few more puzzling to account for in point 
of suddenness and intensity and in the rapidity of their disap- 
pearance. A "nervous" headache, for instance, comes sud- 
denly upon one, and disables us from our duties, and may per- 
haps be dispelled, as it were magically, by a cup of tea, or a 
spoonful of spirits of sal volatile. This, however, is rarely the 
extent of headache. It; ;s not a disease of itself essentially, but 



344 MEDICINAL. 

is the indication of some morbid condition, it may be only tem- 
porary, of the brain or of its coverings. As such it is often a 
persistent symptom, and the source of inexpressible suffering, 
more especially if it be the result of some structural disease 
within the brain or skull. There are, therefore, various kinds 
of headache — the nervous, congestive, neuralgic, rheumatic, 
bilious, etc. 

The nervous headache, arising from various causes of 
debility, may, as already mentioned, be very short lived, and 
yields rapidly to stimulants and antispasmodics. Congestive 
headache is of a character distinct from the preceding, as it 
does not generally come suddenly, is not amenable to the 
same treatment, but requires the reverse — viz., purgatives and 
low diet. This form proceeds from constipation, from over-use 
and exertion of the brain. Bilious headache, or sick headache, 
differs very little either in origin or treatment from the preced- 
ing and requires similar treatment. Neuralgic and rheumatic 
headache are so closely allied in their nature that they must be 
spoken of together in relation to treatment. This kind of 
headache is prone to assume a periodic form. It is to be relived 
by the remedies for rheumatism — e. g., quinine, or iodide of 
potassium. Neuralgic headache is sometimes also much 
relieved by the external application of sedatives. The Bella- 
donna liniment of the British Pharmacopoeia applied freely 
over the surface of the forehead, or on the back of the neck, 
frequently gives great relief. Care must be taken that the 
skin is entire. It would not do, for instance, to apply any 
sedative or narcotic if the skin be tender from a blister, or 
leechbites. 

Whooping Cough (Chin Cough). — Symptoms. — A contag- 
ious or infectious disease, beginning as a common cold, and, 
after a few days, when the febrile symptoms have disappeared, 
showing a spasmodic or paroxysmal character. The cough 
comes in distinct fits, each of which consists of a series of 
forcible expirations or cough noises, followed by an inspiration, 
or hard drawing in of the breath, with a sound almost exactly 
like the word "whoop," hence the name. The fits are accom- 
panied with great distress to the patient — the face becomes red, 
the eyes bloodshot, and at times bleeding from the nose and 
mouth takes place. These fits are terminated generally by 
vomiting. During an attack, a child will exhibit great fear, 
and will run to its nurse or mother, to whom it will cling 
tightly for protection as it were against the cough. 

Treatment. — For children of two years old and upwards, 
the following mixture may be given: Tincture of cantharides, 
i drachm; compound tincture of camphor (Paregoric), one 
and one-half drachms* compound tincture of bark, 3 drachms; 



MEDICINAL. 345 

syrup of Tolu, to make 2 ounces. Mix. One teaspoonful to 
be given three times a day. The chest should be rubbed freely 
with compound camphor liniment, or oil of turpentine, 01 
Roche's embrocation. 

If the cough is very troublesome, and prevents sleep at 
night, the following will be found useful for children above one 
year of age: Hydrate of chloral, 24 grains; syrup of orange 
peel, one-half ounce; water to make 2 ounces. Mix. One tea- 
spoonful to be taken at bedtime. The patient should be con- 
fined to one room if the disease comes on during the latter end 
of autumn, or the beginning of winter, or whenever the weather 
is cold. If, however, it comes on in the summer, or when the 
weather is warm, the restriction is less necessary. 

Hysteria. — Symptoms. — The following are among common 
indications of hysteria: Flatulency; the feeling of a lump or 
ball at the front of the throat, causing a sense of choking; a 
pain in the left side, just below the ribs, as of something sharp, 
like a nail, running in; and uncomfortable impulse to laugh or 
cry without sufficient provocation, this going on until it becomes 
what is known as an "hysterical fit," in which the patient tosses 
herself about violently, and, unless protected, would injure 
herself. 

The causes of hysteria are manifold; constitutional peculi- 
arity, irregular menstruation, luxurious living, or want of some- 
thing to occupy the mind and body, or mental troubles. A 
condition very similar to hysteria sometimes attacks persons 
of the male sex; when this is the case, the chances are that the 
nervous system is in a weakened state, and will, before long, 
manifest more serious signs of its condition. 

Treatment. — No other disease is more obstinate or more 
difficult to treat than hysteria. The general health should be 
looked to in the first instance. The following medicine, taken 
regularly, may have considerable influence over the symptoms: 
Compound tincture of valerian, one-half ounce; foetid spirits 
of ammonia, 2 drachms; spirits of nitrous ether (sweet spirits 
of nitre), one-half ounce; water, to make 8 ounces. Mix. 
Two tablespoonfuls to be taken three times a day. An attack 
of hysterical fit cannot be better treated than by a liberal 
application of cold water to the face and chest. The water 
should be applied in large quantities, and should be dashed 
from a height on the patient. The various antispasmodic aedi- 
cines, such as ammonia, valerian, assafcetida, camphor, are all 
useful for hysteria. They exert still more power if combined 
with tonics, such as steel, quinine, zinc, etc. (See List of 
Medicines.) 

Incontinence of Urine occurs most commonly in young 
children, partly from the effects of habit, partly from the 






346 MEDICINAL. 

effects of muscular weakness or spasm of the bladder. When 
it is met with in elder persons it is doubtless a symptom of some 
disease of, or injury to, the bladder. 

Treatment. — When it can be traced to spasm, sedatives 
are useful; when, however, as is more frequently the case, it is 
the result of weakness of the muscular fibres of the bladder, 
the following should be tried: Tincture of perchloride of 
iron, 10 minims; water, i ounce. Mix. To be given twice a 
day. This dose is for a child of five years and upwards; for 
a younger child half the quantities will suffice. 

Indigestion (Dyspepsia). — Symptoms. — Various kinds of 
pains in the region of the stomach, which occur soon after 
meals. These pains are also sometimes felt between the shoul- 
ders and in the back, flatulency causing some distention of 
the bowels; pain that is called "heartburn," nausea, and some- 
times vomiting, headache, disturbed sleep, palpitation of the 
heart, and other sympathetic inconveniences also occur. 
Among the chief causes of this disorder of the stomach is the 
abuse of stimulating liquors, or of narcotics, such as tobacco 
and opium, the use of too highly seasoned or rich food, seden- 
tary habits, and want of proper exercise. Mere weakness of 
the system, in which the stomach will partake, is often a cause 
of indigestion. 

Treatment. — The main object in the treatment of indi- 
gestion is to find out what is the cause of the disorder. This 
being done, care should be taken to avoid those causes, as 
above named. Urgent symptoms, such as acrid eructations, 
heartburn, flatulency, and pain, may be relieved by bicarbonate 
of soda or potash, or by carbonate of magnesia, e. g. : Bicar- 
bonate of soda, 1 20 grains; tincture of rhubarb, 3 drachms; 
peppermint water, 3 ounces; infusion of gentian, to make 6 
ounces. Mix. One tablespoonful after every meal; or two 
tablespoonfuls morning and evening will probably prove cura- 
tive. If not, the mineral acids should be tried, taken with 
bitters, such as gentian or calumbia. (See List of Medicines.) 
The diet should consist of light and easily-digested substances. 
Care should be taken to avoid those articles which experience 
has shown the sufferers to be excitants of indigestion. 

Infantile Remittent Fever. — (Low fever of children, worm 
iever). A non-infectious fever, generally due to some irrita- 
tion in the stomach or intestines. 

Symptoms. — The symptoms of this fever come generally at 
night, passing off in the morning. They are, shivering, heat 
of skin, thirst, furred tongue, frequent pulse, sometimes pain 
and tenderness of the abdomen, sickness. The sleep is dis- 



MEDICINAL. 347 

turbed by starting and moaning, the little patient is fretful and 
restless. Superadded to these, is a short, dry, hacking cough. 
The bowels are out of order, the appetite at times is good, at 
others fails altogether, the urine is scanty and high colored. 
The symptoms vary greatly in different cases; at times the brain 
seems to be affected, and there may be convulsions; this form 
is, of course, dangerous. In other cases there is profuse diar- 
rhoea, and, in some, inflammation of the bowels, or lungs, 
occurs. This fever has been called " worm fever," from a 
mistaken idea that it is always caused by worms. Though 
undoubtedly intestinal worms may accompany the other 
symptoms, they are far from being its cause. Teething is 
much more frequently a cause; bad feeding, or over-feeding, 
excessive cold, may one and all produce the disease. 

Treatment. — Having removed all causes of irritation from 
the stomach and bowels, by means of castor oil, or a dose of 
syrup of senna, the patient should be placed on a light diet. 
As long as vomiting or diarrhoea continues, milk or milk gruel, 
or arrowroot, or both, should be given; if there be no diarrhoea, 
rice milk, bread pudding, and jellies may be given in addition 
to the above; no animal food should be allowed. In young 
infants, a still stricter diet is required, as the stomach is often 
very irritable, and will not bear the lightest farniaceous food. 
In such cases a tablespoonful of cream or new milk should be 
given every hour or hour and a half. A warm bath should be 
given for a few nights, and the patient should be kept in bed 
during the commencement of the illness and its acute periods. 
The thirst should be met with small pieces of ice or cold water. 

The following powder will be found useful to regulate the 
bowels, if they are disordered, if given at bed-time occasionally: 
Mercury, with chalk, 3 grains; powdered rhubarb, 5 grains; 
bicarbonate of soda, 2 grains. The following medicine may be 
taken when the fever is acute, the doses being apportioned 
according to age: Powdered nitre, 3 grains; ipecacuanha wine, 
2 drachms; syrup, 3 drachms; water to make one and a half 
ounces. Take one teaspoonful three times a day. As signs 
of amendment begin to appear quinine wine or steel wine 
with quinine should be given. 

Inflammation. — Symptoms. — Inflammation, while it is cer- 
tainly the commonest form of disease, and the most frequent 
cause of both functional and structural maladies, is at the same 
time a condition much more frequently assumed than ascer- 
tained. There exists a common apprehension that any inter- 
nal pain, especially if it be attended with functional derange- 
ment, proceeds from inflammation of some internal organ. It 
is important that this misapprehension should be corr^'-ftd if 



348 MEDICINAL. 

possible, inasmuch as the treatment must differ widely, accord- 
ingly as inflammation is present, or mere congestion, or 
neuralgic pain. 

Treatment of Inflammation and its Results. — The 
general principles of the treatment consist in — ist, moderating 
the force of the circulation; 2nd, in reducing the temperature, 
and causing contraction of the loaded small vessels; and, 3rd, 
in removing the effects of inflammation. The first indication 
is effected by depletion, or by medicines which affect the force 
of the heart's action. Depletion is effected by bleeding from 
a vein, by cupping and by leeching. The last of these is the 
only means of depletion that can be employed by a non-pro- 
fessional person; and is, indeed, almost the only means that is 
adopted even by professional persons. Venesection, or bleed- 
ing from the arm, is now so nearly exploded that there are 
medical men who have been many years in practice, who have 
never performed this operation. Even leeching is seldom 
required. The occasions under which they may be advisable 
will be found under the instructions for the treatment of 
respective diseases. (See also Leeching.) With the view of 
moderating the force of the circub 'on, the employment of the 
warm bath will be found serviceable, although it would seem 
that during the bath the pulse may at first be quickened, faint- 
ness may be induced by its prolonged use. Short of this, how- 
ever, the profuse perspiration that often follows its use reduces 
both the rate of the pulse and the temperature of the surface. 

The next means for fulfilling this indication will be found in 
lowering medicines — such as tartar-emetic, ipecacuanha, calo- 
mel, and various purgatives. An important means also to the 
same end will be the relief of pain by the use of henbane, etc. 
The second indication in the general treatment of inflammation, 
viz., the reduction of the temperature and contraction of the 
loaded vessels, will, in a great measure, follow on the successful 
employment of the means above named for the first indication. 
These will be aided by local application of cold, either by 
evaporating lotions, or by the use of ice, or by the astringent 
action of certain medicines applied externally, such as nitrate 
of silver, extract of lead, tannin, etc. If the inflammation be 
seated in an internal organ, blistering and external irritants are 
serviceable. The last indication, viz., the removal of the 
effects of inflammation, such as thickening of parts by deposi- 
tion of material into their structure, is to be fulfilled by the use 
of stimulants, internal and external, and by tonic medicines, 
aided by a full diet. 

Inflammation of the Brain, or Brain Fever.-— Symptoms. 
—This affection, which is also known as water on the brain, or 



MEDICINAL. 349 

Hydrocephalus, is of two forms, acute, and chronic. In the 

acute form, symptoms will vary with age. 

In Children. — In infants, the first symptoms that will be 
noticed will probably be simple restlessness or fretfulness. The 
head will become hot, and there may be sickness, which will 
soon become a predominant symptom. The bowels are for 
the most part relaxed; the flow of urine notably diminished. 
If old enough to express its feelings, the child will complain 
of pain in the head; if too young for that, the same will be 
indicated by its constantly putting its hand to its head, and 
rolling its head about. An early symptom is the bending of 
the thumb inwards on the palm of the hand, and downward 
flexion of the toes. The eye will be bloodshot, and the brows 
knitted The sleep of the child is disturbed with starts, or it 
will wake up as if alarmed. In young infants, the soft part on 
the top of the head will be full and throbbing. These symp- 
toms are followed in fatal cases by a bending backward of the 
neck, with convulsions and stupor. It will be seen also that 
one side of the body is more convulsed than the other, which 
may be paralyzed. This disease may last for several weeks; 
during this time the child is constantly uttering a peculiar sharp 
cry, or moaning, or screaming. 

In Adults. — In the adult, the symptoms of inflammation 
of the brain constitute what is generally called " brain fever;" 
in which there is a great mental excitement giving rise to 
delirium. The senses become morbidly acute, so that the 
ordinary amount of light is not bearable, and noise of any kind 
is intolerable. The inflammation is attended with great pain 
in the head, hot skin, and fever. The eyes are bright and 
bloodshot, the pupils readily contract. The bowels are costive, 
the urine scanty and high colored. If the disease do not yield 
to treatment, twitching of the limbs, convulsions, collapse and 
stupor precede death. 

The chronic form is seen exclusively in children, and is 
often born with them. Its predominant sign in that case is the 
enlargement of the head, and retarded development of the 
mental powers, or their premature development. The body is 
badly nourished, and the digestive functions are disordered. 

Treatment of Acute Inflammation of the Brain. — 
In infants, difficult dentition is one of the exciting causes, the 
condition of the gums therefore should be looked to in the 
outset of the symptoms, and, if full and swollen, should be 
freely lanced, as the pressure of the gum upon the growing teeth 
and their nerves keeps up irritation of the nervous centres. 
This operation is simple enough, and requires only one pre- 
caution — viz., to cut parallel with the edge of the jaw, toward 



i 



350 MEDICINAL. 

the front of the gums. The incision should be made down- 
ward until it comes in contact with the tooth. If it be made 
behind the middle lines of the gums, there is a risk of cutting 
through the sac of the second set, which are being developed 
behind the first. The operation is better performed with a 
proper-shaped gum-lancet, but as this instrument is not often 
in the hands of the non-professional, a sharp pen-knife will 
serve the purpose. The child's head should be steadily held 
between the operator's knees, while its hands are held by some 
one else. 

Cold applications, such as spirit lotions — e. g., one part of 
gin to ten of water, should be kept constantly applied on a rag; 
or ice-cold water may be used. 

If the symptoms be very acute, two or three leeches may be 
applied on the bony prominence behind the ears, as pressure 
can efficiently be made there to stop the bleeding as soon as 
they come off. 

Calomel should be given in repeated small doses, unless it 
produces diarrhoea; it should be then changed to grey powder, 
with a little powdered nitre. Thus: Calomel, 2 grains; nitre, 
6 grains; white sugar, 6 grains. Mix, and divide into six pow- 
ders. Give one every four or six hours. Or, take of grey 
powder, 6 grains; nitre, 12 grains; white sugar, 6 grains. Mix, 
and divide into six powders. Give one every six hours. The 
diet should be of the lightest kind, consisting mainly of milk 
and water. A hot bath should be given at least once a day; 
and the body of the infant may with great advantage be 
sponged over with warm vinegar and water, equal parts. 

If, in about eight-and-forty hours after the adoption of the 
above means, the symptoms do not abate, a blister-plaster 
should be applied to the nap of the neck. This, in case of 
infants, should not be allowed to remain on longer than two 
hours. It should then be taken off, even if it has not 
raised a blister. A muslin bag filled with bread and water 
poultice should be applied to the surface, where the plaster has 
been; the skin will then shortly begin to blister. The poultice 
should be repeated every four hours, or when it becomes cold. 

In most cases the preceding means will have succeeded in 
subduing the malady; if, however, as is very frequently the 
case, there is a scrofulous constitution, the remedies will not 
have so favorable an effect. The symptoms may continue for 
many days in a milder degree, and the little patient will then 
require the withdrawal of all mercurial medicines and the sub- 
stitution of a fuller diet for the milk. Beef-tea may then be 
given several times a day, and if the sickness and diarrhoea 
should continue, small doses of brandy (from ten to twenty 
or thirty drops, according to age) may be given every three 01 
four hours. 



MEDICINAL. 351 

Mouth, Inflammation of.— Symptoms.— Pain in moving the 
tongue, and sometimes in moving the cheeks, the insides of 
which are swollen and red; the gums and the tongue also are 
often much swollen. There appear numerous white patches, 
which are in reality superficial ulcers, covered with a white 
false membrane. The tongue is cracked, and scored with j. 
whitish-brown fur, the breath is very offensive, and there is 
general feverish disturbance, with irregularity of the bowels, 
and sometimes extreme prostration. This affection may almost 
invariably be traced to the injuriou- influence of sewage air. 

Treatment. — The first thing therefore to be done is, if 
possible, to remove the patient to a purer atmosphere. If the 
bowels be confined, some mild aperient should be given, such, 
as castor oil; or, in the case of a child or infant, the carbonate 
of magnesia. The following medicine should be given three 
times a day: Chlorate of potash, 80 grains; water, 4 ounces. 
A tablespoonful for a dose for an adult, a teaspoonful for a child. 
In the latter case some sugar may be added for the sake of 
flavoring it. The following lotion will also be found useful: 
Chlorate of potash, 40 grains; water, 4 ounces. The mouth 
being repeatedly washed with it. For children it will be as 
well to add a little honey, or for infants it will often suffice to 
smear borax and honey upon the tongue, whence it will be 
unconsciously applied in the mouth. With adults, some tonic 
will promote convalescence when the acute soreness has sub- 
sided. 

Itch. — Symptoms.— An eruption of small pimples, which 
excite intense itching. They occur most frequently, to begin 
with, between the fingers, and on the backs of the hands. After 
a few days, the pimples may also be detected in the bends of 
the joints — e. g., on the wrist, on the feet, and it may even 
spread all over the body. The itching is constant, though it 
is worse at night, when warm in bed, and after violent exercise. 
If the disease be neglected, and if cleanliness be not suf- 
ficiently attended to, the spots become inflamed and fill with 
matter. 

This disease is caused by a minute microscopical insect, 
called the "Acarus scabies," which burrows beneath the skin. 

Treatment. — The following lotion should be applied: 
Quicklime, 1 ounce; sulphur, 4 ounces; water, 1 pint (imperial 
measure). These should be boiled together slowly for about 
four hours, and then allowed to stand till the clear yellow fluid 
can be poured off. Water should be added to this to make the 
quantity up to two pints. 

The manner of applying this lotion is to wasn the affected 
part with warm water, and then to apply the lotion for half an 






35^ MEDICINAL. 

he>jr. After twelve nours, the body should be well washed 
with soap and water, and the skin carefully examined, to see if 
any spot remain unacted upon by the lotion. Its sufficient 
action must be judged by the aspect of the vesicles or pimples, 
those on which it has taken effect will present an opaque yel- 
low white head. This application, well applied once, will gen- 
erally be found efficient, but it may require a second, and even 
a third, application. If the pimples be inflamed, and have heads 
filled with matter, or be ulcerated, the lotion will aggravate 
them and give pain. Under these circumstances, it must either 
be considerably diluted with water, or the common sulphur 
ointment may be substituted for it. When the ointment is 
applied, it should be allowed to remain on the skin for two or 
three days, fresh quantities being applied if it is rubbed off. 
After the second or third day, the whole skin should be well 
washed with soft soap and water. 

Measles. — This is an infectious, eruptive fever, having an 
incubative period of about fourteen days, commencing with 
marked catarrhal symptoms, and belonging more especially to 
the ages of infancy and childhood. The little patient appears 
to have a severe cold; he has sneezing and running at the nose, 
"watering at ihe eyes," and a short, hard cough. This condi- 
tion, in the course or a day or two, or it may be in a few hours, 
becomes one of a distinct febrile state. A general heat of the 
skin comes on, the pulse is quickened, and on the third or 
fourth day, on the face, chest and body a mottled rash begins 
to show itself. The rash consists of distinct spots slightly 
raised above the surface of the skin, and clustered in groups, 
often having an indistinctly crescentic arrangement. It begins 
to disappear again in about three or four days, and is usually 
all gone by the end of a week. 

Treatment. — The catarrhal symptoms which usher in the 
measles require only the simplest treatment of nursing, warm 
baths, and low diet. When the eruption appears and makes 
it clear that the case is one of measles, the same plan of treat- 
ment is still applicable. There is a very large proportion of 
cases of measles that are in themselves so slight that they really 
amount to little more than an attack of common cold, and 
require no other treatment. If, however, there be fever, rather 
more severe, with a troublesome dry cough (which is very com- 
monly an attendant), a simple saline mixture, as follows, will be 
found of service: Powdered nitre, 1-2 drachm; ipecacuanha, 
1 drachm; paregoric, 1-2 drachm; water (sweetened with 
sugar), 2 ounces. Mix. A teaspoonful to be given every four 
hours, to an infant about two or three years of age; the doses 
for older children should be increased, on the scale given in. 
the list of medicines. For an infant under one year old it may 



MEDICINAL. 353 

be as well to omit paregoric. If there be constipation of the 
bowels, some simple aperient should be administered, such as 
castor oil or grey powder. The body should be sponged over 
every day with warm vinegar and water. 

Should the eruption suddenly disappear, and difficulty of 
breathing or other symptoms of congestion of the lungs', as 
shown by du\. aess of the skin and coldness of the surface, 
come on, a hot bath, with mustard in it, should be had. At 
the same time stimulants, such as compound spirits of ammonia, 
wine, or brandy should be administered — e. g., for an adult, a 
drachm of spirits of salvolatile in a wine-glass of water, every 
two or three hours. Wine, to the extent of four ounces in six 
hours, may be given: or brandy in proportion, allowing for its 
greater strength. 

Measles in Adults. — When the disease occurs in adults 
it is usually more severe, and calls for more active treatment. 
The doses prescribed above should be augmented on the scale 
given in the list of medicines. There is a popular notion that 
measles leave behind them something that requires clearing 
away, and acting thereupon it is not uncommonly the case that 
the unfortunate child is actively physicked for a few days. 
The whole proceeding is based on error. When the child is 
well, better let well alone. 

Milk Fever. — Symptoms. — A light form of puerperal fever 
is that which is commonly known as " milk fever." This is 
simply a passing febrile condition attending the establishment 
of the secretion of the milk, if not drawn off freely enough, 
when the breasts sometimes become painfully distended, and 
the fever is rather smart for a few days, and then rapidly sub- 
sides, with simple aperient salines and abstinence as far as may 
be from fluids, taking care that the reast is emptied as thor- 
oughly and frequently as possible. 

Miscarriage, or Abortion. — Symptoms.— It occurs very 
often without any warning, but commonly it ir preceded by slight 
pains in the back and abdomen, and by a slightly colored 
discharge. These symptoms occurring in the early months or 
weeks of pregnancy, are sometimes mistaken for the return of 
the ordinary period, which may have been supposed to have 
been suppressed from some other cause. These warnings may 
end as such, or the abortion becomes completed by the sudden 
expulsion of the contents of the womb, attended with more or 
less haemorrhage. In some cases considerable haemorrhage 
will continue for several days before miscarriage is complete. 

Treatment. — Rest, with the administration of opiates to 
allay pain. If the haemorrhage be profuse, napkins wetted with 

23 






354 MEDICINAL. 

cold water, or cold vinegar and water, should be applied to the 
lower parts of the body. The patient should be kept as cool 
as the season will admit, and some mild aperient should be 
given, if the bowels have been costive. A light diet should be 
taken. The following pill should also be given every four 
hours, if the bleeding continue: Acetate of lead, 2 grains; 
opium, 1-4 grain; conserve, or moist bread crumb, enough to 
make a pill. Prevention is an important point in these cases, 
as when the accident has happened once, it is very prone to 
recur at the same period of future pregnancies. The third 
month is a very usual period for abortion to occur. 

Nervous Shock. — On the occurrence of a severe accident, 
such as a fracture of a limb, or a fall from a height, the sufferer 
is generally found pale, fainting, and perhaps half uncon- 
scious, with a small and irregular pulse. This condition of 
shock to the system may go into a state of collapse from 
which the patient may never recover. Under such circum- 
stances, however, what is termed " reaction " takes place, 
attended either with complete recovery in a few minutes, or 
the complete reaction may be prolonged for a day or two. 

Treatment. — First and foremost, see that the patient has 
a good supply of fresh air; let him be placed in the recumbent 
posture, with the head on a line with the body. Small quan- 
tities of stimulants should be given, such as about a table- 
spoonful of brandy in a wine-glass of water, or a teaspoonful 
of compound spirits of ammonia (spirits of salvolatile) should 
be given in a wine-glass of water. Warmth should be secured 
to the surface of the body by blankets and hot bottles to the 
feet and legs. 

Paralysis. — Symptoms. — After the immediate symptoms of 
an attack of apoplexy have passed away, more permanent 
effects are often left in the form of palsy of some of the mus- 
cles, or of insensibility of parts of the surface of the body. 
The body may be palsied vertically, that is, one-half of the 
body from head to foot, may have lost its sensibility to 
external impressions, or the muscles on the side of the body 
may have lost their power of moving the limbs. When the 
right side of the body is paralyzed, there is very often a 
defect in the power of speech, by which the patient uses wrong 
words to express his ideas. Or, the palsy may effect the body 
transversely, the trunk and limbs below a certain line having 
lost their power. Another more restricted loss of power may 
occur, as local paralysis. Thus, one hand, or one foot, may 
be palsied, or the muscles of one side of the face alone may 
suffer; or, again, the tongue and palate, etc., may have lost 
their free movement without impairment of the musculai 
power of other parts of the body. 



MEDICINAL. 355 

Treatment. — If the case come under treatment soon after 
the attack of apoplexy, the symptoms more readily yield to 
treatment; but the result too commonly is that some degree of 
paralytic impairment is commonly left behind. In the early 
phases of this affection, the careful administration of small 
doses of mercurials — e. g., two grains of blue pill, night and 
morning, continued for a week or ten days, unless it produce 
tenderness of the gums and flow of saliva, when it should 
immediately be stopped. This effect should be carefully 
watched against day after day. The effects of the mercurial 
will be assisted by some form of counter irritation, such as 
blistering the nape of the neck, and keeping the blister open 
by dressing it with savine ointment, or by rubbing the follow- 
ing ointment on the nape of the neck, night and morning, until 
an eruption of pimples appears: Tartar emetic, i drachm; lard, 
or spermaceti ointment, i ounce. Mix. 

After the mercurial has been discontinued, tonic medicines 
will be found of service, such as steel, quinine, and cod-liver 
oil. 

Pregnancy. — Signs of. — It is sometimes a difficult matter 
to determine the fact of pregnancy. There is, however, strong 
ground for belief in its existence, if under possible conditions 
menstruation becomes suspended in a healthy woman, previ- 
ously regular in her periods. If to this sign be added, after 
about four or five weeks, the occurrence of morning sickness, 
with enlargement of the breasts and development of the 
glands around the nipple, which begins to be encircled by an 
areola of darkening skin, the suspicion becomes strengthened, 
and, generally speaking, time confirms it. 

Management of. — Of the management of the period of 
pregnancy there is not much to be said, as each woman may 
act according to her ordinary mode of life and circumstances 
when in good health. 

The Disorders of pregnancy will, nowever, require notice 
as to their prevention as well as treatment. The stomach 
being, through sympathetic irritation, prone to derangement, 
care should be taken to avoid what is known by individual 
experience to be indigestible, avoiding the frequent recourse to 
stimulants to relieve the slight ailments incidental to a natural 
condition. Indigestion is one of these, and may generally 
be relieved by bicarbonate of soda or magnesia, or by a rigidly 
abstemious diet for a few days. Cpstiveness is also a common 
attendant upon pregnancy, and leads to a troublesome affection 
— piles, and should be prevented by dieting, or by occasional 
doses of some mild aperient, such as castor oil, or rhubarb and 
magnesia, or citrate of magnesia. Piles, if present, will also 



356 MEDICINAL. 

be relieved by the action of the aperients. We would warn 
against the senseless practice of taking frequent doses of oil as 
a matter of course. There is no call in nature for anything of 
the kind, and no need for such gratuitous physicking. 

Vomiting. — The morning sickness that attends the early 
weeks of pregnancy amounts in general to little beyond 
annoyance every morning. Sometimes, however, it becomes so 
constant and persistent as to be a real illness of itself, prevent- 
ing the retention of food of any kind, so that the sufferer be- 
comes enfeebled, emaciated, and as if bloodless. The ordinary 
morning sickness may be moderated by a teaspoonful or two 
of Noyau, or cherry-brandy in milk, taken quite early in the 
morning before rising. It should be swallowed, the patient 
merely turning on her side and raising only on to her elbow — 
not getting up into the upright or sitting posture. Then lying 
quietly for an hour, and taking after that time a small cup of 
strong coffee and dry biscuit; again resting for half an hour 
after this breakfast. 

Quickening is very frequently attended with faintness and 
palpitation of the heart, but these soon pass away, and are 
relieved by simple means. These symptoms, however, are apt 
to recur at any period, under circumstances that disturb health, 
such as over-fatigue, either in pursuit of pleasure or of duty. 

Enlargement and distension of the veins of the legs are 
apt to occur during the latter months of pregnancy, when the 
womb, being large and heavy, presses upon the veins in the 
lower part of the body, and retards the return of the blood 
from the limbs. Hence, varicose veins are established, and 
become a fixed trouble. The recumbent posture, by taking off 
some of the pressure from the internal vessels, is calculated to 
diminish the distention of the veins of the legs; additional 
support may be afforded to these by wearing elastic-web 
stockings. 

Cutaneous Irritation of the private parts often occurs 
in the early months of pregnancy, and, indeed, in some persons 
forms the first indication of the pregnant condition. A lotion 
of carbolic acid applied to the parts several times a day affords 
considerable comfort. Take of goulard water, one-half pint; 
saturated solution of carbolic acid, 10 drops. Mix and use as 
lotion. 

Irritability of the Bladder, giving occasion for con- 
stant calls to micturition, is another excessively troublesome 
affection that often attends pregnancy, especially during the 
later weeks. The following mixture will be found useful: 
Muriated tincture of iron, i drachm; tincture of henbane, one- 
half ounce; water to 6 ounces. Mix. Take a sixth part every 
four or six hours. 



■__ 



MEDICINAL. 357 

Protrusion of the Navel.— This frequently occurs in the 
early weeks of infantile life. 

Treatment. — The best method of treating it is to cut a 
piece of cork or ivory, in the torm of a half sphere, and place 
the rounded side on the protruded navel. Adhesive plaster 
should then be used to retain it in its place. It is generally 
necessary to pursue this treatment for some months, particu- 
larly in female children. The plaster should be changed every 
morning, and the skin washed before the cork is replaced. 

Puerperal Fevers. — Symptoms. — When a labor has been 
protracted, a degree of fever sometimes occurs and passes off 
in the course of a few days. This passing febrile state is, 
however, very different from the condition commonly known 
as " puerperal," or " child-fever," which does not make its 
appearance generally until several days, and is indeed a very 
grave malady. It is ushered in by indefinite symptoms refer- 
able to the nervous system, such as headache and sleeplessness. 
If night after night passes in disturbed sleep, with or without 
dreams of a distressing character, and restless indefinite discom- 
fort by day, suspicion should be aroused, and attention drawn 
to the probable approach of fever. After this indefinite illness 
has lasted for seven or eight days, it will be found that there is 
a degree of tenderness on pressure at the lower part of the 
abdomen, with some pain in moving or on taking a long breath. 
There will also be a degree of flatulent distention of the bowels. 
The ordinary discharge will have diminished, as will also the 
secretion of milk. Shivering will occur alternately with flush- 
ing and heat of surface, as detectable by the thermometer. The 
pulse becomes rapid, but wanting in force. 

Treatment. — While the symptoms are mild, a few doses 
of Dover's powder, with mild saline aperient and careful diet- 
ing, will generally suffice to insure their disappearance. If 
there be pain in the abdomen, hot fomentation or turpentine 
stupes will give relief. Should these simple means prove 
ineffective, and the symptoms become aggravated, with increase 
of pain, reliance may be placed in small repeated doses of 
opium, either as Dover's powder or in form of pill, — e. g., 
Dover's powder, 5 grains every six hours; opium, in form of 
pill, half a grain every six hours; turpentine stupes repeated 
every morning and night. If the bowels should be confined, 
a dose of castor oil or a rhubarb draught should be given. In 
most cases this treatment will suffice, with a light nutritious 
diet. In those cases, however, in which there is a feeling of 
sinking and prostration, stimulants may be cautiously given. 
Should there be sickness or vomiting, champagne may be 
taken, or small and frequent doses of soda-water and brandy 



358 MEDICINAL. 

This form of fever will sometimes last two or tnree weeks, and 
requires the greatest care in nursing, and in diet, etc., during 
convalesence. 

Purpura. — (The Purples.) — Symptoms. — Patches or spots 
of a purple color, resembling bruises, their colors also going 
through the various shades shown in bruises. They are some- 
times accompanied by a tendency to bleeding at the nose.. 
There may be some febrile disturbance, but usually the general 
health shows no sign of derangement. 

Treatment. — Tonics are required in this disorder. The 
muriated tincture of iron, with the addition of quinine, forms 
a very useful medicine. If the bowels be confined, sulphate 
of magnesia should also be added. For children, steel wine 
will generally be sufficient, together with a careful nutritious 
diet of beef tea, meat, etc. 

Remittent Fever. — Endemic Fever.— This fever is not 
infectious, and it differs from ague in there being no distinct 
intermissions, but frequently recurring attacks, generally taking 
place in the morning. 

Symptoms. — The face is flushed, there is" headache, and 
occasionally delirium; there is great tenderness in the stomach, 
accompanied with vomiting of a bilious nature; the bowels are 
confined, and the urine is scanty. If the bowels are relieved, 
the motions are of a dark, greenish color, and very offensive. 
The skin is hot, the pulse rapid, the tongue has a brownish fur. 
The feVer becomes less as the skin becomes moist, and as the 
patient goes into a sweat, the remission occurs. The remission 
generally lasts from one to three hours, when the fever again 
comes on, and gradually increases in severity till it attains the 
intensity of the former attack, and perhaps exceeds it. 
During the remissions of the attacks, the patient remains in a 
state of mild fever, accompanied by giddiness or lassitude. The 
fever may last from five days to five weeks. A patient may be 
said to have the fever in a favorable manner as the remissions 
are more distinct. 

Treatment. — If the bowels are constipated, the following 
aperient mixture should be taken: Epsom salts, one-half ounce; 
tincture of rhubarb, i drachm; water to make one and a half 
ounces. Mix. When the remissions have clearly set in, the 
patient should take the following draught three times a day: 
Sulphate of quinine, 3 grains; syrup of orange peel, 1 drachm; 
dilute sulphuric acid, 10 minims; water, 1 ounce. Mix. Qui- 
nine is not only of value as a curative agent in the endemic 
fever, but it is also a preventive. Travelers in the low and 
marshy districts of tropical climates do well to take two or 
three grains of quinine every morning. 



MEDICINAL. 359 

Rheumatism — Is an inflammation or febrile affection that 
attacks the joints and muscles, or their coverings and sheaths, 
in various parts of the body. When the large joints are 
the seat of the disease, in its most active form, it is known as 
rheumatic fever, on account of the feverish condition that 
accompanies it. It is often, however, met with in a less active 
form, as subacute, chronic, or neuralgic rheumatism. 

General Symptoms. — In the acute form the pain in the 
joints is so acute, and they are so sensitive to the slightest 
movement, that the patient dreads even a shaking of the bed 
he lies on. The joints are swollen, and red as well as painful. 
A high degree of fever attends the inflammatory affection of 
the joints; the pulse is full, strong and fast; the tongue is 
furred; the bowels generally costive; the urine scanty and high 
colored. The seat of the inflammation is rapidly changed from 
one joint to another, the pain subsiding to return perhaps as 
severely as before. 

Subacute Rheumatism. — In this form the pain is less 
severe, and there is a slighter amount of fever. It affects more 
the muscles than the joints. Of this kind are " lumbago," 
" rheumatic headache," etc. 

Rheumatic Affection of the Heart. — In the acute 
form, or " rheumatic fever," the coverings and interior of the 
heart are prone to become inflamed. The occurrence of this 
complication may be interred if pain be fel* in the region of 
the heart, attended with palpitation and difficulty of breathing. 

Treatment. — The several joints as they are affected should 
be wrapped round in cotton-wool, covered with gutta-percha 
tissue or oil-silk, the joint being previously gently rubbed with 
belladonna liniment. When the pain and inflammation first 
come on, the patient should, at bed-time, take the following 
powder: Calomel, 2 grains; Dover's powder, 10 grains. Mix. 
Next morning the patient should take the following draught: 
Infusion of senna, 2 ounces; tartrate of potash, 2 drachms; 
compound spirits of ammonia (salvolatile), one-half drachm. 
After the bowels have been freely open, the following medicine 
should be commenced: Bicarbonate of potash, 2 drachms; 
water, 6 ounces. Mix. Two tablespoonfuls to be taken, either 
alone or effervescing, with a tablespoonful of lemon juice, three 
times a day. The addition of ten minims of colchicum wine 
sometimes aids the effects of this mixture, but it is apt to 
produce sickness and purging. 

If there is great pain and want of sleep, or if the bowels are 
open too much, a grain of opium, or twenty minims of laudanum 
should be taken every night. The above alkaline mixture 
should not be continued too long, as it is apt to cause irrita- 



3G0 MEDICINAL. 

tion of the intestines. As soon as the pain begins to subside, 
and the urine to assume its usual appearance, it should be 
stopped, and the following medicine substituted: Sulphate of 
quinine, 16 grains; dilute sulphuric acid, i drachm; water, 8 
ounces. Mix. Two tablespoonfuls three times a day. If there 
be reason to suspect that the coverings of the heart are affec- 
ted, a blister should be applied on the front of the chest, over 
the seat of- the heart. 

A low diet of milk, arrowroot, rice or sage, or beef tea, 
should be continued throughout the acute stage, with a change 
to a more liberal diet as the symptoms subside. 

Chronic Rheumatism. — Symptoms. — The pain of this 
form of rheumatism is less acute, and is more frequently 
situated in the muscles or their tendons than in the joints. 
The parts affected become stiff and painful on movement. 
There is not often much swelling or inflammation of the joints 
— except of the small joints, as of the fingers — after the disease 
has lasted long. 

Treatment. — The parts affected should be rubbed with a, 
mixture of equal parts of belladonna and soap liniment, or with 
compound camphor liniment (see External Applications), and 
if the pain and inflammation be very acute, as sometimes they 
are, turpentine fomentations should be applied. 

The following medicine should be taken: Iodide of potas- 
sium, 40 grains; bicarbonate of potash, 2 drachms; water to 
make 8 ounces. Mix. Two tablespoonfuls three times a day. 

Sciatica. — It sometimes attacks the leg, beginning at the 
upper part of the back of the thigh, and extending downwards 
to the foot. The pain of this form of rheumatism is very acute, 
and it is by far the most troublesome to treat. 

Treatment. — The application of strong stimulating lini- 
ments over the seat of the pain. If the pain be severe, it may 
sometimes be allayed with half-grain doses of opium every six 
hours. Iodide of potassium and tincture of bark should also 
be given. (See Medicines.) 

Scarlatina. Scarlet Fever.— Symptoms. — This is a highly 
infectious eruptive fever, common to all ages, which makes its 
appearance sometimes almost suddenly, but generally after a 
day or two of general indisposition, in which vomiting almost 
always occurs. The rash consists of minute scarlet spots, 
which are scattered over the entire body. They are not raised 
above the surface of the skin, over which a diffuse redness 
commonly prevails. The characteristic appearance is presented 
by the tongue, which is of a. bright scarlet color round the 
edges, the middle being furred with the papillae of a bright 



MEDICINAL. 3G1 

scarlet color, standing out, and giving it the appearance of a 
strawberry. The throat is sore and scarlet, with difficulty in 
swallowing. On examining the throat it will be found that the 
tonsils are often swollen and ulcerated. The glands in the neck 
are swollen also. The pulse is rapid and small. There is 
great thirst, with entire loss of appetite for food. The rash 
lasts from five to seven days, when it gradually fades away. 
The skin, after a variable period, begins to peel off as fine dust 
or scales; sometimes large flakes come off. The entire skin 
of the fingers or toes sometimes comes off in one piece like 
the finger of a glove. The itching caused by the eruption is 
sometimes a source of great irritation and sleeplessness. In the 
active febrile stage of the disease it often happens that 
delirium occurs during night, which subsides with the fever. 

Treatment. — A hot bath should be given night and morn- 
ing, so as to promote the functions of the skin and bring the 
rash out fully. This is an important point, as when the rash is 
not out plenteously, the specific poison of the disease has a 
tendency to affect internal organs, the brain especially. The 
bowels should be kept open by means of saline aperients. The 
following mixture is useful during eruptions: Carbonate of 
ammonia, 40 grains; simple syrup, 1 ounce; water to make 8 
ounces. Two tablespoonfuis to be taken three times a dav, 
one tablespoonful by children less than ten years of age, and 
less for infants; but it is not easy to get young children to 
swallow medicine or food, in consequence of the soreness of the 
throat. If the throat be ulcerated, small blisters should be 
applied outside, on the neck, under the angles of the lower jaw 
bone. (See Blistering). The throat and tonsils should be painted 
inside with the following: Nitrate of silver, 20 grains; dissolved 
in distilled water, 1 ounce. The best way of painting or mop- 
ping this on the throat, is to tie a small piece of sponge very 
tightly on the end of a piece of whalebone, taking care to touch 
the tonsils at each application. The diet should be light. Free 
ventilation is an essential point in the treatment of scarlet fever. 
It must be secured so as not to expose the patient to sudden 
cold or chill. Disinfection should be carefully attended to. 

Scarlet fever sometimes assumes a malignant form. From 
the very beginning there is a depression of nervous power, the 
eruption is dusky, and the ulceration of the throat very acute. 
In this case, stimulants must be given, as wine or brandy and 
water; but in other forms of the disease, these are seldom 
needed. 

Small-pox. Variola. — Character. — This is an infectious 
eruptive fever, having, in its natural form, a definite course 
from the moment of infection to its termination. We shall in 



3G2 MEDICINAL. 

the first place describe the disease as unmodified, in which its 
course is divisible into the several phases, or stages, of incuba- 
tion, invasion, eruption, decline. 

Incubation. — The stage of incubation, or period during 
which the disease is being developed in the system, covers a 
lapse of twelve days from the date of infection, and passes 
usually without any manifest sign of disease. 

Invasion. — At the end of twelve days, the symptoms of 
invasion make their appearance in indefinite febrile illness, 
principally marked by pain in the back, and at the pit of the 
stomach. These premonitory symptoms last for forty-eight 
hours, and vary greatly in degrees of severity — some cases 
assuming the character of very severe illness, the exact nature 
of which is not clear. The use of the clinical thermometer 
will here be found a help in diagnosis. If the temperature of 
the body be as high as ioo degrees, or above that, there will be 
no room for doubt that a fever is impending. Other circum- 
stances, such as possibility of infection, etc., will further assist 
in arriving at an opinion. The severity of the premonitory 
symptoms has usually a direct relation to the severity of the 
subsequent eruptive fever. 

Stage of Eruption. — The premonitory illness having 
existed for forty-eight hours, begins to decline simultaneously 
with the outbreak of the eruption, in the shape of minute, red 
pimples, which feel like millet-seeds beneath the skin. They 
appear first on the upper parts of the body, and last on the 
legs and feet. In from twenty to thirty hours the eruption is 
nearly as fully out as it will be. 

Varieties. — The number and character of the pimples give 
rise to varieties, which have been recognized and designated 
as: i. Distinct, or discrete; the spots not being very numerous, 
and clear spaces of skin being left among them. The fever is 
slight in these cases. 2. Confluent: in many cases the eruption 
is more copious, the pimples running together and forming 
large clusters. In this form the fever runs high, and the dan- 
ger is greater in proportion to the number of pustules. There 
may be an intermediate variety. 3. The semi-confluent, in 
which the clusters occur in patches, leaving other portions of 
skin free from the eruption. The febrile symptoms are neither 
so mild, nor so severe, as in the above varieties. 

Types. — Any one or all of these varieties of the disease 
may run through their course, ending in perfect recovery; or 
the symptoms may be characterized by extreme severity or 
prostration from the beginning. This is the " malignant " type 
of the disease; the others are the "mild " or "benignant." 



MEDICINAL. 363 

Course of the Eruption. — In the ordinary course of the 
disease, the pimples are red and inflamed by the end of the 
second day; after this, they gradually begin to show a conical 
apex, filled with a colorless fluid, and, by the fifth day, they 
present a small vesicle of this fluid with flattened instead of 
a conical top. The vesicles from this date alter in appearance, 
and become pustules, being filled with matter which is " ma- 
ture " by the eighth day. In this state of the eruption the 
surrounding skin is red and swollen, and it is at this point that 
the eyelids swell considerably from the looseness of their tex- 
ture. The patient is then commonly spoken of as being blind, 
but in truth he is only blinded for a time. Some pimples appear 
also in the mouth, and throat, in most cases causing hoarseness 
and cough. 

Stage of Decline. — After the maturation of the pustules 
on the eighth day, up to the eleventh day, the pustules begin to 
dry up and form scabs. This scabbing process, however, does 
not proceed equally over the body, and may last for several 
weeks on the extremities. It is accompanied by a return of 
febrile symptoms, often rather severe, and attended with excite- 
ment of the brain. This has been termed the "secondary 
fever." It generally begins to subside after the eleventh day, 
which has been regarded by some observers as a "critical day." 
Pitting is pretty sure to follow on unprotected or natural small- 
pox. Such is the ordinary course of natural small-pox, in its 
non-malignant form. 

Modified Small-pox. — If the subject of small-pox has 
been vaccinated, the disease may be cut short at any one of its 
stages, and disarmed of its dangers. The eruption is rendered 
slighter, and less likely to leave pits. The fever is slighter, so 
much so as often to exceed very little that of chicken-pox. It 
may be affirmed that as a rule vaccinated cases of small-pox 
recover with very little of ill effects of any kind, beyond dis- 
colored traces of the pustules, which gradually fade away. 

Malignant Small-pox. — This form of disease is marked 
from its outset by signs of nervous depression, and deteriora- 
tion of the blood. The pulse indicates loss of strength, while 
the blood shows grave alterations in its composition, such as 
blood spots on the skin, resembling bruises and flea-bites. 
The pimples scarcely go into the vesicular or pustular stage, 
but becomes filled with extravasated blood, giving them a pur- 
ple hue. When vesicles of this character are seen, even if it be 
among others of a healthier aspect, they betoken more than 
usual danger. Haemorrhage from internal organs most com- 
monly follows, and the patient succumbs in the course of a few 
days. 



364 MEDICINAL. 

The conditions most favorable to recovery from small-pox 
are youth, previous good health, and vaccination. The unfav- 
orable circumstances are infancy and old age, the supervention 
of other diseases, such as erysipelas, boils, abscesses, congestion 
of internal organs, and pregnancy. This last is almost always 
attended with abortion in small-pox. 

Inflammation of the coats of the eye is very prone to occur 
during an attack of small-pox — in severe cases running on 
sometimes to the total destruction of the globe of the eye. 

Propagation. — Small-pox may be propagated by infection, 
or by inoculation. The latter is now never practiced, since it 
has been made to be, in law, a felony, punished by heavy fine 
or imprisonment. The incurrence of the disease by infection 
is called "taking it in the natural way." How long after the 
subsidence of all the symptoms of small-pox an individual 
may be able to communicate it "in the natural way" is not 
known. Probably no risk exists of its propagation from the 
person after all the scabs have fallen off, and the patient has 
had repeated baths. To prevent its propagation the thorough 
disinfection of all clothing and bedding should be effected as 
early as possible. 

Treatment. — For the disease itself the treatment consists 
more in watching its course and relieving complications than 
in the administration of remedies with any view to cure. 
Small-pox having a definite course cannot be interfered with 
by active treatment without fear of causing mischief: — all that 
need be done is to administer some mild aperient in the outset, 
and then some simple saline mixture if the fever run high. A 
mild distinct case is far better left to run its natural course. 
Separation of the sick from the healthy, and a plentiful sup- 
ply of pure air, are of greater importance, almost, than the 
adoption of curative measures. The sleeplessness and delirium 
which often attends the febrile state that accompanies matura- 
tion of the vesicles, are readily allayed by Dover's powder, 
[f the entire surface of the body be sponged daily with warm 
water, or vinegar and water, the irritation of the skin is much 
allayed thereby. Inflammation of the eyes should be imme- 
diately attended to. A small piece of linen rag, dipped in cold 
water, or Goulard water, should be laid over the eyelids and 
be kept constantly wetted. The main treatment of mild or 
simple small-pox resolves itself into nursing and dieting. 
During the early febrile stages, diet of bread and milk is the 
best. Light slops, such as broths, may be allowed also, anu 
ripe fruits, such as grapes, oranges, etc., to allay thirst. When 
the process of scabbing has advanced a few days, and the sec- 
ondary fever is on the decline, meat should be given, and if 
the pulse becomes feeble some Wine in addition will prove 






MEDICINAL. 3G5 

Beneficial. In the severer or malignant small-pox, wine or 
brandy will be required earlier. The indication will be a 
sense of sinking expressed by the patient, and feebleness of the 
pulse. In the malignant or haemorrhage form wine should be 
given to begin with, and doses of the muriated tincture of iron. 

Prevention of Pitting. — A point in treatment to which 
great importance is attached is to prevent pitting or scarring. 
Countless have been the schemes that have been put forward 
with great boast and pretention as infallible preventives of the 
disfigurement. Having tried a great many of the plans, and 
seen them tried on a great scale, we cannot advise our readers 
to rely upon any one that has yet been put forward, except pre- 
vious vaccination. This exerts such a controlling power over 
the disease that it, even in severe cases, may pass away without 
pitting. The separation of the scabs is promoted by painting 
them with sweet oil as soon as they are formed. 

Spasm, or Cramp, may be a symptom of some nervous 
affection, or of inflammation of some internal organ. Essen- 
tially they are the same thing, but a distinction is generally 
made to the effect that spasm affects internal muscular parts, as 
of the stomach or intestines, while cramp affects the muscles 
of the limbs. Internal cramp or spasm may be distinguished 
from inflammation by pressing on the part. Steady pressure 
gradually affords some relief in spasm, whereas the pain is 
increased thereby if its cause be inflammation. 

Treatment. — For immediate relief of spasms or cramp, 
an adult may take laudanum, 20 minims; ether, 30 minims; or, 
chloric ether, 30 minims, in a wineglass of water. And repeat 
every three or four hours. 

Splinters, Thorns, etc. — These should be removed, if possi- 
ble, by the use of forceps. If they are left in they may cause 
inflammation, and the formation of abscesses, or gatherings. 
If the foreign body cannot be extracted, a linseed-meal or 
bread-poultice should be applied. Matter will probably form, 
and may be required to be let out by a puncture, in which case 
most probably the thorn or splinter will be evacuated at the 
same time. The inflammation will begin to subside as soon as 
this has occurred. 

Stings of Insects, etc. — Symptoms. — The stings of wasps 
or ants, or bees, as, indeed, do most of the bites of insects, 
present very much the appearance of what are called poisoned 
wounds. The history of the case will generally be that the 
patient has suddenly felt a very sharp pain in the part affected, 
though, perhaps, he has not noticed any unusual appearance 
about it. Within a short, but variable period, there is a feel- 



366 MEDICINAL. 

ing of irritation about the spot, which rapidly becomes red and 
swollen, and sometimes acutely painful. On close examination, 
it will be found that there is a small speck about the centre of 
the inflamed part, and in this the sting of the insect is some- 
times found. The severity of the symptoms will of course vary, 
according to the state of health, or constitution of the patient. 
The inflammation may be confined to a small circumscribed 
spot, or it may spread over a whole limb, and be attended with 
signs of prostration. 

Treatment. — If the sting have been left in, as it usually is 
by wasps, it should be carefully extracted, if it can be got hold 
of, by forceps or tweezers. If there be simply a small red 
irritable spot, it will be sufficient to dress it with a cold evapor- 
ating lotion, such as the following: 

Vinegar, i ounce;, spirits of wine, i ounce; water, 4 ounces. 
Mix. This should be kept constantly applied by means of a 
piece of lint, or soft linen rag. 

Spirits of salvolatile is also very useful for local application 
in slight cases of stings. Should, however, the inflammation 
spread much, poultices of linseed-meal should be applied. 

Should the wound have been inflicted by a snake or other 
venomous insect, and the system be at all affected, if the 
patient seem faint or prostrated, stimulants should be given 
freely, thus: Spirits of salvolatile, 1 drachm; water to 1 ounce; 
every hour; or brandy and water, if the ammonia be not at 
hand. If the bite proceed from some animal, whose bite is 
known to be of a dangerous nature, nitrate of silver should 
be freely applied to the wound as quickly as possible. If the 
wound be on a limb, it will be as well to tie a handkerchief or 
other ligature tightly round it above the part bitten. 

The venomous effect of certain snake bites, as that of the 
cobra di capello, are so rapid in their development that, unless 
speedy or immediate aid be rendered, the patient will stand but 
little chance of recovery. The bite of the adder is occasion- 
ally followed by very serious symptoms. The bite, or rather the 
stings, of certain scorpions are often of a severe nature. In 
nearly all cases of snake-bite, the symptoms consist in a fearful 
state of depression, during which, unless the strength be sup- 
ported, the patient will sink. 

If the wound be inflicted on one of the limbs, a ligature 
should be very tightly tied round it above the wound. 

The object of the treatment, as above stated, is to support 
the strength of the patient until the poison shall have passed 
out of the system. 

Stomach-Ache: 1. In Children; 2. In Adults. — 1. To 
begin with this very " common heritage " of infantine and 



MEDICINAL. 36? 

childisha "woe," first and foremost show your sense, as far as a 
fond (and foolish?) papa or mamma can be supposed to show 
it, by preventing the " little ones " from eating and drinking 
what you know, and they don't know, to be a likely fons et 
origo malorum. For instance, prevent their eating raw and 
unripe fruit; going into the garden and picking and swallowing 
green peas, sour gooseberries, and so on; in short, keep them 
on their proper diet, eggs and milk, in especial, the only two 
perfect per se kinds of food; good brown bread, made at home 
of whole-ground wheat, infinitely more nourishing than the fine 
white bread, too often adulterated, for the sake of the color, 
with alum, to the ruin of the teeth and confinement of the 
bowels; Scotch oatmeal porridge, with plenty of milk, not 
odious salt and the like. N. B. — Do not expect your young 
child to thrive on tea and white bread and butter only; still 
less on buttered toast. A growing child needs something bet- 
ter at breakfast than that. If you yourself know nothing 
about the proper diet for a child, then buy one of the London 
Hospital Pharmacopoeias, particularly one of the "Children's 
Hospital Pharmacopoeias," at the end of which a proper dietary 
for a child, according to its age, is given. 

If stomach-ache does come, in spite of all reasonable pre- 
cautions, then, if you have no doctor at hand, or in case you 
don't, in your wisdom, think fit to call one in, or in case 
you cannot pay him if you do — then, faute de mieux, give from 
a quarter of an ounce of tincture of rhubarb to half an ounce, 
according to age and strength, with from two to four drops of 
laudanum, and four or five drops of essence of ginger in about 
a wineglass or a little more of water. A little sugar and grated 
nutmeg in it will do no harm, and make it more palatable. 
Cut him, or her, as the case may be, a bit of thin fresh lemon- 
peel, and give it to set the little teeth into as soon as the succus 
amarus is swallowed, to take the taste away; or, if you cannot 
get this, then a thin slice of a ripe apple, or a small suck at an 
orange. A child won't take medicine any the better another 
time, for having had the nasty taste in its mouth for minutes 
after it has swallowed its first dose. Put the child to bed, 
warm and comfortable; and, if the pain continues, repeat the 
dose, and apply warm fomentations, flannels wrung out in hot 
water, with a few drops of spirits of turpentine sprinkled on 
them to the pit of the stomach. 

Better still, if you are near and have access to a hospita-1 
dispensary; or, failing that, to a good chemist's, then have tne 
following recipe made up, and give it: Ten grains of carbonate 
of magnesia; 10 grains of aromatic powdered chalk; 15 to 20 
drops of the tincture of rhubarb; 1 ounce of peppermint water. 
Repeat the dose in hajf an hour if the pain be not quieted. 
This will suit a child of eight or ten years of age. 



368 MEDICINAL. 

For pain in the stomach in infants, try, before you give Dill 
or any other medicine, gentle pressure with the palm of the 
warm hand on the abdomen, quietly and steadily applied. The 
pain, probably owing to wind only, will pass away. 

N. B. — Have woolen clothing (as soft flannel) worn next 
the skin. Whole-meal bread, but not bran bread for little 
children, and fine oatmeal only should be used. Avoid newly- 
baked bread too. Second day bread is the best, well-fired, 
and not raw and doughy. 

If pain be aggravated by pressure and rubbing, the stomach- 
ache may be more seriou«, and advice should be sought. Warm 
light poultices and one dose only of castor-oil. The directions 
for the use of laudanum must be regulated according to the 
age of the child; viz., one drop for every year of its age. For 
adults, the castor oil and peppermint draught should be advised 
too. 

2. In an Adult.— Act much m the same manner as with 
this complaint in a child, if you have nothing better within 
reach than tincture of rhubarb; only, of course, use a stronger 
dose, say from half an ounce to an ounce of the tincture, and 
from five to ten drops of laudanum. In case you can get it 
made up, probably no better prescription can be given than 
that which bears in Hospital Pharmacopoeias the barbarous 
Latin name of Haustus carminativus, the draught, that is, that 
acts like a charm, viz: Five grains of rhubarb powder, with 
the same quantity of powdered ginger; 10 grains of bicarbonate 
of soda; 20 drops of the aromatic spirits of ammonia, and 1 
ounce of cinnamon water; or, if you cannot get that, plain 
water will do. 

Stone-Pock. — Symptoms. — This troublesome and disfiuring 
nffection of the skin has the synonyms of "Acne," "Carbuncle- 
race," and "Rosy drop." It consists in scattered pimples, 
occurring usually on the face, chest, back, and shoulders. They 
appear first as small hard pimples, with minute black points, 
consisting of obstructed openings of the glands of the skin. 
After an uncertain period, the pimples increase in size, become 
inflamed at their base, pus forms, presenting yellow heads, 
then scabbing off in the course of a week or ten days. This is 
the form in which the eruption makes its appearance in the 
young and healthy, about the period of puberty, to their great 
annoyance and discomfort. In advanced life the eruption 
assumes a congestive character, and is of a dark or fiery red 
hue, often very obstinate and chronic in its nature. It is this 
form which has acquired the rather appro brious synonym of 
"Carbuncle-face." 

Treatment. — However anxious young people may be lo 



MEDICINAL. 369 

get rid of what they feel to be a very disfiguring eruption, they 
must make up their minds to endure it with as much patience 
as may be, since it will often last for a year or two, and then 
gradually disappear. We would, therefore, warn our readers 
against taking strong medicines with a view of getting rid of it. 
A more important point is attention to diet and the general 
state of health. A nutritious, unstimulating diet should be 
taken. A simple aperient of an alkaline character, taken occa- 
sionally, together with the use of mild lotions, are the utmost 
that should be attempted. Thus, for aperient mixture: Bicar- 
bonate of potash (or soda), 2 drachms; infusion of senna, 2 
ounces; infusion of gentian, 6 ounces. Mix. Take an eighth 
part twice a day. For lotion: Corrosive sublimate, 2 grains; 
rose-water, or pure water, 8 ounces. Mix, and mark "poison- 
ous." Apply to the skin night and morning. Or, common 
washing soda, 1 drachm, to a pint of water, and apply freely, 
drying the skin again with a soft towel. Or, half an ounce of 
bicarbonate of soda, or potash, added to the water of a sponge 
bath. 

The chronic form of acne may be taken as a type for the 
treatment of chronic diseases of a pustular order generally. 

In all these, attention to diet is equally important, but it 
may be fuller, and some stimulant should be taken in the cases 
of adults. The internal use of arsenic, and of mineral acids, 
according to the age and state of constitution, will be found 
most serviceable, due attention being paid also to the func- 
tions of the liver and kidneys. The following prescriptions 
may be tried. Diluted nitric acid, 2 drachms; compound 
tincture of bark, 10 drachms. Mix. Take a teaspoonful three 
times a day in a wineglass of water. Or, Fowler's solution of 
arsenic, 1 drachm; solution of potash, 3 drachms; tincture of 
gentian, to 2 ounces. .Given as above. The dose of solution 
of arsenic should be cautiously increased by 30 drops to the 
bottle at end of each ten days, for about three times. The 
dose will then be as large as it will be safe to entrust to non- 
professional hands. 

If, during the administration of arsenic in these small medi- 
cine doses, there should occur griping sickness and itching ot 
the eyelids, the medicine should be stopped. Its use should 
also be discontinued if it seems to exert a depressing influence 
on the system. 

For outward application, in chronic acne and other pustu- 
lar affections, there are several ointments and lotions. Thus: 
Sulphate of zinc, 20 grains; glycerine, 1-2 ounce; water, to 6 
ounces. Mix. 

Stranguary (Difficult Micturition). — Symptoms. — This 
spasmodic affection may be caused by the application o f £ 



370 MEDICINAL. 

blister-plaster or of blistering liquid to any part of the body; 
or by inflammation of the bladder or other disorder of the 
urinary organs; by hysteria or by pregnancy. The spasm 
causes great distress by the ineffectual efforts that are made to 
empty the bladder, which, the more it is distended, the more 
severe the pain becomes, so that the slightest movement or 
pressure becomes intolerable. 

Treatment. — It is caused by the irritation of a blister- 
plaster, a sedative (as tincture of henbane, or laudanum) and 
warm drinks, with time, will relieve the suffering. 

When it proceeds from internal causes it will depend also 
©n these for its treatment; when, however, it occurs in hysteri- 
cal states, the tincture of perchloride of iron, with tincture of 
valerian, or assafcetida, may be tried. (See List of Medi- 
cines.) 

Struma, or Scrofula. — This is an unhealthy state of consti- 
tution, which gives a character to the diseases or disorders of 
those who possess it. Thus it is regarded as the basis of 
glandular swellings in the neck, and is somewhat loosely spoken 
of as "scorbutic habit of body." 

All diseases occurring in strumous habits require a support- 
ing and tonic treatment. 

Sunstroke. — Symptoms. — These resemble the symptoms of 
congestion of the brain, and come on occasionally with great 
suddenness after exposure to the direct heat of the sun. In 
other cases the symptoms are slower in their approach, and in 
children resemble those of affection of the brain from teething. 

Treatment. — Apply cold to the head, and mustard-plas- 
ters to the soles of the feet and calves of the legs, giving 
repeated moderate doses of -stimulants at the same time. 

Swallowing Foreign Bodies. — It often happens that chil- 
dren swallow money, or other hard substances, such as pins, 
etc. In these cases, if the substance be completely swallowed, 
it should be left to take its course through the stomach and 
intestines. The custom of giving purgatives in such cases is 
altogether contrary to physiological principles, as the intestinal 
movements will more safely carry them through than if vio- 
lently urged by physic. 

Toothache, How to Treat.— To alleviate the wretched pain 
— for nothing probably short of "cold steel," that is, extraction, 
can work a perfect cure — take at once a tolerably strong dose 
of opening medicine; as soon as this operates, in all probability 
the pain will be gone for a week or two. Meanwhile, apply a 
small mustard poultice outside, just over the place where 
the pain is most violent, and rub the gum and the 



MEDICINAL. 371 

tooth with chloroform and laudanum. It will ease tne dread- 
ful pain. A little bit of cotton dipped in a solution of shellac, 
or of gum mastic and spirits of wine, makes a good temporary- 
stopping for bad teeth. Avoid the ordinary vaunted "nos- 
trums," that is, the quack medicines said instantly to remove 
toothache. Kreasote is the safest domestic remedy to employ, 
if the pain be very bad; only get a friend to employ it, by 
putting a little bit of cotton-wool dipped in it into the hollow 
of the tooth for you, and do not try to put it in yourself, or you 
will scarify your tongue and gums. 

Vomiting", Obstinate. — When the Stomach will Retain 
Nothing. — General Directions, when a Doctor Cannot 
be Got. — Keep the patient perfectly quiet, in a bed, if possible, 
and on his back. Give no food for some time, and then only 
teaspoonful doses at a time, with long intervals; leave him to 
himself for an hour or two; then give five drops of chlorodyne 
in a little water, and, after an interval, a little chicken-broth or 
beef-tea. Milk, pure and simple, or milk with lime-water, in 
very small quantities at a time, is often useful. If you cannot 
keep these down lay a piece of lint soaked in a teaspoonful of 
brandy and a teaspoonful of laudanum mixed, on the pit of the 
stomach, cover it with a bit of oiled silk or guttapercha twice 
the size of the lint, and renew it every four or five hours. A 
mustard plaster will answer the same purpose, and is, probably, 
more easily procured. Either application will help to quiet 
the stomach. A teaspoonful of lime-water in a teacupful of 
tnilk or of cold beef-tea (I have found that the stomach will 
always keep down the white of an egg, well beaten up with 
a teaspoonful of brandy, and given a very little at a time, when 
it would retain nothing else), or of arrowroot, will often abate 
the vomiting and enable the stomach to retain a small quantity 
of food. 

Thirty drops of wood naphtha and as much of the tincture 
of cardamoms, in a tablespoonful or two of water is sometimes 
used in this distressing complaint, and with success. It is very 
useful in preventing the vomiting of consumptive patients. 
Other experienced doctors say, use one drop of ipecacuanha 
wine every half hour. < 

Typhoid Fever.— Intestinal, or Enteric, Fever. — Symptoms. 
—This fever generally begins with slight premonitory symp- 
toms, such as chilliness, loss of appetite, and heat of skin; 
sometimes vomiting, and generally diarrhoea, which seems to 
defy remedies. The patient becomes weaker, and, from about 
the seventh to the tenth day from the seizure, there appear on 
different parts of the body — generally on the back and front of 
the chest and abdomen — rose-colored spots, which are slightly 



L 



372 MEDICINAL. 

raised above the sunace, but which disappear on pressure, and 
quickly return when the finger is removed. At first, only two 
or three make their appearance, and are liable to be over- 
looked. More come out, but they are very variable in number: 
in ordinary cases, about a dozen. In forty-eight hours these 
spots fade out, and are replaced by fresh ones; this crop also 
fades as the former, and is replaced by another, and so on. 
The probable severity and danger bear some relation to the 
number of the spots; the abdomen feels hard, and is tender, 
but more particularly just above the right groin. The tongue 
is furred in the centre and red at the tip, as the diarrhoea con- 
tinues, the motions being loose, sometimes quite black, at other 
times light-colored. If this continue, the tongue becomes 
ulcerated, brown, and dry. The teeth become caked over with 
a brown matter called "sordes," and there is great thirst. The 
pulse ranges between 90 and 120. The temperature will reach 
102 degrees to 104 degrees. The patient may become deliri- 
ous, but this does not always denote that the disease will assume 
a serious form. In favorable cases the improvement is gener- 
ally slow. It is indicated by the number of stools diminishing 
and becoming more and more solid. The spots disappear, the 
skin becomes cooler and moist, the appetite returns, and, as 
convalesence progresses, sometimes becomes ravenous. The 
appetite requires to be carefully controlled during convalescence. 
Ulceration of the bowels being the dangerous tendency of the 
fever, indiscretion in diet will easily induce a relapse. 

Treatment.— The diet is an important point in the treat- 
ment of the disease. It should consist of light fluid food, 
easy of digestion; nothing solid should on any account be 
given. The patient should have milk and beef tea, coffee or 
tea; arrowroot or gruel are both useful. The staple article of 
diet should be milk during the first ten or twelve days, unless 
symptoms of extreme debility should occur, in which case 
beef tea and port wine may be given. Soups also may be 
given, but care must be taken that they are clear from^indi- 
gestible fibres of meat and vegetable. lA-> *' 

The administration of wine is often a most difficult problem 
in the treatment of fever. If the signs of debility are so' evi- 
dent as to render prostration imminent, an ounce of port wine, 
or even brandy, may be given every four or six hours; but it is 
necessary to caution the reader not to mistake the feeling of 
weakness, which is an inseparable attendant on fever, for dan- 
gerous debility. A vastly larger proportion of cases would do 
well without stimulants than is generally believed. It may be 
a help to the determination of the question if we point out 
some symptoms that will call for the use of alcoholic stimu- 
lants. These are great fluctuations in the number of the pulse 



MEDICINAL. 373 

and in the degrees of temperature of the body, and a want of 
muscular power to maintain a comfortable posture in bed, 
accompanied with sighing and irregular breathing. It may be 
stated broadly that it is not the number of the pulse that is so 
important as its steadiness. A pulse of a hundred and fifty — 
if it continue day after day at that number — affords a better 
sign than a pulse that beats a hundred at one time, and a hun- 
dred and twenty at another, and a hundred and something else 
at another time. The same remark applies to the readings of 
the clinical thermometer. If these are steady, the case will, in 
all probability, do well without the use of alcohol. 

For medicinal means, but little is required in the shape of 
drugs. Some simple effervescing saline, or soda-water, which 
will serve to allay thirst and fever, will suffice in mild cases. 
Dilute hydrochloric acid, in small doses, is often of some ser- 
vice. Diarrhoea may be checked by chalk mixture, to which, 
if there be pain in the bowels, small doses of Dover's powder 
may be added. If there be tenderness on pressure of the 
abdomen, a mustard plaster may be applied", or a linseed poul- 
tice should be kept on day and night. When convalescence 
begins it may be assisted by the administration of quinine. 

Typhoid fever has a specific duration, viz.: either twenty- 
one or twenty-eight days; this, the ordinary duration, may, how- 
ever, be interfered with by the complication of inflammation 
of any internal organ, and convalesence may be prolonged 
through many weeks by the occurrence of mischief in the in- 
testines. The termination of the disease, if not in health, is 
in exhaustion; or sometimes by inflammation in the cavity of 
the abdomen, through the perforation of an ulcer in the intes- 
tines. In this last case, pain of a most intense character sets 
in suddenly, and is rapidly followed by collapse and death. 

Typhoid fever is not, as supposed, a milder form of typhus; 
it is distinctly different. Typhus is infectious; typhoid is not. 
The prominent symptom of typhus fever is the disturbance it 
causes in the brain. Diarrhoea is the prominent symptom of 
typhoid. 

The above distinctions are sufficient reasons with some 
authorities for dispensing with the name "typhoid," as that, 
from its similarity to " typhus," is liable to mislead, hence the 
name " Enteric " as the more appropriate distinctive designa- 
tion of this fever is frequently employed. 

Typhus. — This is an infectious fever of a very grave char- 
acter, known under various names as jail-fever, camp-fever, 
etc. It begins like most other fevers with indefinite symptoms 
of malaise, lasting an uncertain period. The incursion of the 
fever is sometimes sudden, commencing with a shivering fit, 



374 MEDICINAL. 

headache, and feeling of extreme debility. As the fever 
becomes more pronounced, the pulse is rapid, the temperature 
of the skin above ioo degrees; thirst becomes urgent, the 
tongue furred; vomiting sometimes occurs. Severe headache 
and delirium occur early in the course of this fever. With the 
advance of the disease, the tongue becomes coated with fur, 
the eyes bloodshot, the skin hot and dry, the urine scanty, and 
the skin assumes a dusky hue. 

A characteristic eruption, distinctive of symptoms, appears 
on the chest and body, usually after the fifth day. By the 
peculiar features of this eruption, the disease may be identified 
and distinguished from typhoid. The appearance of the 
eruption somewhat resembles that of measles, but has mixed 
with it numerous minute spots like flea-bites. The stress of 
typhus is on the brain, as manifested by the early occurrence 
of severe headache, delirium, painful dreams, sleeplessness, 
twitching of the muscles, and, lastly, coma. The bowels, 
usually, are confined, a condition the reverse of what is observed 
in typhoid. Cough and shortness of breathing direct attention 
to the organs of respiration, inflammation of the lungs of a 
low and insidious character, being one of the most frequent 
and most dangerous complications of this fever. 

Typhus fever has no definite duration, like typhoid, but 
generally declines in fourteen days, although some cases last 
many days longer. 

Treatment. — ^ well ventilated apartment is essential to 
the success of treatment, and should by any means be secured. 
In the winter time a fire should be kept burning, as it not only 
supplies warmth, but it secures a change of air in the apart- 
ment. The tendency of typhus being towards depression and 
prostration of the nervous energies, the point in treatment is 
to support the vital powers by beef tea, milk, port wine, or 
brandy. The dose and the frequency of the repetition of the 
stimulants must be guided by their effects on the pulse. 

In cases where the debility is extreme and the pulse very 
rapid, a judiciously administered dose of alcohol will give it 
force and reduce its frequency. In this case the dose should 
be repeated at intervals of two or three hours, closely watching 
the effect on the pulse. In cases in which the debility is. not 
so intensely marked, wine may be omitted, and the patient 
supported on milk, beef tea, soups, etc. Mild aperients should 
be given if the bowels be costive, and for medicine, four or 
five grains of carbonate of ammonia, dissolved in water, 
should be given every four hours. 

The head symptoms — e. g., headache, delirium and sleep- 
lessness — will be relieved by blistering the back of the neck. 
(See Blistering.) If the head be hot, ice-cold water should be 



MEDICINAL. 375 

constantly applied. If the excitement of the brain prevent 
sleep, a small dose of Dover's powder at bed-time will have a 
soothing effect, and perhaps favor perspiration. If there is 
cough and symptoms signifying that the chest is becoming 
affected, mustard-plasters should be applied. We repeat, how- 
ever, that the most important of all measures is good nursing 
and careful dieting. 

The infection of typhus may be guarded against by the 
free use of disinfectants, such as carbolic acid or Condy's 
fluid (see Disinfection), and by free ventilation, which is of the 
first importance, and goes a long way to prevent the spread of 
all sorts of infectious diseases. 

Vaccination. — Vaccination is the insertion into the human 
system of the infectious matter of a mild disease called cow- 
pox. Cow-pox is really small-pox, which, having been acted 
on by the system of the cow, has been thus rendered innocu- 
ous to the human body, at the same time that it is protective of 
a second attack. Thus, in vaccination we have a mild and 
harmless form of small-pox, which is voluntarily accepted in 
the place of the more malignant form of small-pox, which 
seizes its victims against their will. 

Vaccination is the only real protector we have against the 
ravages of small-pox. This is proved by the following facts, 
among many others: In proportion as vaccination is properly 
and efficiently performed, so the mortality of small-pox is 
reduced. Secnodly, by the freedom from infection which is 
enjoyed by properly le-vaccinated persons, in constant attend- 
ance upon, and actual contact with, small-pox"patients. There 
has never been a case of small-pox among the nurses or the 
attendants at the Small-pox Hospital, Highgate, within a 
period of considerably over thirty years. This is simply 
because they are all properly re-vaccinated before they enter 
upon their duties. 

Mode of Vaccination. — The operation of vaccination is 
simple, but so highly important that no care bestowed upon its 
performance is thrown away. 

The following instructions will be sufficient, if carefully fol- 
lowed: Select an arm of a vaccinated infant that has good 
vesicles on the eighth day, i. e., the day week on which the 
lymph was inserted. Then, with a perfectly clean lancet, make 
several punctures in the clear part of the vesicles, avoiding 
the red border of the inflamed skin, so as not to draw blood. 
A clear watery fluid will ooze out in beads. Take off some of 
this clear fluid on the point of the lancet, and then, taking 
the arm of the infant, or person to be vaccinated, draw the 
skin tense and insert the point of the lancet nearly horizontally 



376 



MEDICINAL. 





VACCINE VEISICLES. 



into the skin to an extent of about one-tenth of an inch (-); 
then give the lancet a turn round, withdraw it, and press it 
down upon the puncture. Five such punctures, to the distance 
of about half an inch apart, should be made on one arm. 

Supposing that an arm with mature vesicles should not be 
available, lymph may be procur- 
ed from any vaccine station. It 
will be received in that case, 
preserved either in tubes, or on 
small points of ivory. If in tubes, 
the point at each end of one 
must be broken off, and the con- 
tained lymph be gently breathed 
on to the point of the lancet, 
and inserted as above directed. 
If the lymph have been preserved 
dry on "points," one of these 
should be used for each punc- 
ture. Dip the point quickly into 
cold water, and shake off any excess of water. The object is 
just sufficiently to moisten the lymph, that it will be easily 
scraped off on to the point of the lancet, and inserted as before 
directed. 

Some degree of inflammation occasionally occurs on the 
vaccinated arm. This will generally disappear quickly under 
the application of simple water-dressing. A slight eruption of 
small, colorless pimples on various parts of the body also 
occasionally follows vaccination, and disappears in the course 
of a few days. 

To ensure the success of vaccination, the infant to be vac- 
cinated should be in good health, and free from any eruption 
of the skin, and the child from whom the lymph is taken should 
also be in perfectly good health. With these precautions, there 
is no ground for the fear that other diseases than cow-pox will 
be transmitted by the operation. Very great exaggerations 
and misrepresentations have been put forth on this point in 
order to excite prejudice against vaccination. 

Re-vaccination. — The primary vaccination of infancy, if 
well and thoroughly performed, as shown by the existence of 
several well-marked cicatrices, affords protection for life from 
severe small-pox — protection, however, not so complete but 
that modified small-pox shall not occur. It is shown by a vast 
accumulation of statistics that there is a greater tendency in 
vaccinated persons to take the small-pox between the ages of 
fifteen and twenty-five than at all other ages put together. It 
is, therefore, advisable, in order to obtain complete protection, 
the operation of vaccination should be performed at puberty, 



MEDICINAL. 377 

or when growth is completed. The insertion of lymph by three 
punctures is sufficient for re-vaccination. The lymph from a 
re-vaccinated vesicle should never be used for primary vaccin- 
ation. 

Voice, Loss of. — Sometimes without the existence of catarrh, 
or inflammation of the larynx, the voice suddenly becomes 
reduced to the faintest possible whisper, or without great 
difficulty even this is not achieved. It occurs sometimes after 
long continued speaking, but it is most frequently met with in 
hysterical females. The same thing may, however, happen as 
the result of a cold, or from a more serious cause some form 
of paralysis of the organs of the voice. 

Treatment. — When the affection is the result of catarrh, 
it may be relieved by the inhalation of the steam of hot water, 
with a few drops of creasote, or a teaspoonful of spirits of 
salvolatile. When it proceeds from hysteria or paralysis, the 
treatment must be sought under the heads of those diseases. 

Wounds, Cuts, Stabs. — These are of several kinds — e.g., 
incised, contused, lacerated, punctured — requiring each a 
modified treatment. 

Incised Wounds. — These are clean cuts or wounds, with 
smooth defined edges. 

Contused Wounds — Are wounds attended with bruising 
of the parts, such as seen in gunshot injuries. 

Lacerated Wounds — Are pretty much the same as bruised 
wounds — the edges are rough and jagged. 

Punctured Wounds — Are where the orifice of the cut is 
small, but its extent deep, such as in stabs. 

Treatment. — Incised Wounds. — In the case of incised 
wound or clean cut, if not large in extent, it will heal readily 
by the edges being brought together by means of some simple 
unirritating plaster, such as " adhesive plaster," or " isinglass 
plaster," or goldbeater's skin. It may be advisable to bring 
ihe edges of a wound together with stitches. The most con- 
venient needle for this purpose is a glover's needle, and white 
silk is the best material for the sewing. If the wound has been 
inflicted by broken glass, etc., the surfaces should be carefully 
searched for any fragments or foreign bodies, before the edges 
are brought together. If the bleeding be profuse, the wound 
should be left exposed to the air for a while, or the ordinary 
means used to stop the bleeding. If the cut be a long one, 
there should be small intervals left between the strips of plaster, 
in order to allow blood or other fluids to escape. This strap- 
ping plaster need uot be removed for three or four days, 



378 MEDICINAL. 

unless there be pain and throbbing in the wound; in this case 
they should be loosened, or even removed, as these symptoms 
indicate inflammation. If it be necessary to remove the strap- 
ping before union has taken place, the wound should then be 
dressed with water and lint, covered with oil-silk or gutta- 
percha. 

Scalp Wounds. — Cuts on the scalp should be carefully 
cleansed from hair, which should also be removed for about 
half an inch around the wound. If small, the edges can be 
brought together with plaster. If the wound be large, it is 
better simply treated with cold water dressing. No stitches 
should be put in these wounds, unless they are very ragged and 
gaping, as they are prone to excite erysipelas in this part of the 
skin. 

Bruised, Contused, and Lacerated Wounds. — In 
consequence of the tearing or bruising of the edges of a 
lacerated wound, the vitality of those parts is more or less 
impaired; hence these wounds do not heal as readily as a clean 
cut. In treating a contused wound, the surface should first be 
carefully sponged clean of clotted blood, or foreign bodies of 
any kind, such as portions of clothing, small shot, etc. The 
simple water dressing, or wet lint, covered with oil-silk, is the 
most suitable for this kind of injury. If the sbft parts be 
much torn, they may be bound down by a roller and water 
dressing applied. After a time, the surface of a wound of this 
kind becomes sluggish in its healing, and resembles an ulcer. 
It should then be treated with zinc ointment or yellow basilicon. 

Stabs, or Punctured Wounds — Require special treat- 
ment, varying with their depth, and the part in which they 
occur. A slight wound of this sort, not penetrating deeply, 
may be dressed with isinglass-plaster, adhesive-plaster, or gold- 
beater's skin. If, however, deeper, but not entering a cavity, 
the simple water dressing should be applied, and the part 
wounded be so placed that blood may escape freely. For this 
reason it is not advisable to endeavor to heal a punctured 
wound quickly. If the bleeding from the wound does not stop 
from the exposure to cold, the wound may be plugged with 
lint or soft linen, soaked in tincture of perchloride of iron, 
diluted with an equal quantity of water, or with tincture of 
matico. The plugging may be allowed to remain in twelve 
hours. After its removal, if the bleeding be checked, dress as 
above directed with water. A deeply punctured wound is 
prone to heal at the surface. This should be prevented by 
inserting a strip of linen between the lips of the wound, so as 
to allow of the escape of matter. The healing from the bot- 
tom is sometimes to be promoted by injecting with a "weak 
solution of Condy's fluid (a teaspoonful to a pint of water). 



MEDICINAL. 



379 



Stabs, or Punctured Wounds of the Chest. — The dan- 
ger of these will depend upon the fact and extent of penetration. 
Those wounds that do not pene- 
trate the cavity of tho chest may- 
be treated as ordinary stabs. (See 
previous directions.) Penetration 
of the ihest is probably attended 
with a vound in the lung. This 
may be inferred if there be diffi- 
culty in breathing, or spitting of 
blood, with distress and anxiety 
of countenance. 

The first indication of treat- 
ment i'. wounds of the chest is to 
give remedies to stop the bleeding. 
Should this proceed from a vessel 
in the wall of the chest, it should 
be sought for, and, if possible, 
tied; should it, however, proceed 
from the lungs, ice and cold drinks 
should be given. 

For -"he organs within the chest, 
see diagra-i, which will point out 
the parts probably wounded. 

A draught as follows: Tincture of opium, 20 minims; 
infusion of oak-bark, to make one ounce. This should be 
given every hour until the patient sleeps, and then discontinued. 
The sleeping is important, as it diminishes the force of breath- 
ing, and so insures a certain amount of rest to the wounded 
lung. The wound in the wall of the chest should then be 
accurately closed with stitches, or plaster, and the patient 
kept as quiet as possible. 

Should there be any heat, swelling, or pain in the part, or 
should the patient have any shivering fits, small doses of opium 
should be continued at frequent intervals; thus: Compound 
ipecacuanha powder (Dover's powder), two and a half grains. 
Every two hours. It will be as well, when these symptoms 
show themselves, to give the patient also half an ounce of 
Epsom salts, in order to open the bowels. He should be 
allowed a light, cool diet. 

Pleurisy is often a consequence of wounds in the walls of 
the chest. For its treatment, see under the name "Pleurisy. " 

Punctured Wounds of the Abdomen. — These may be 
slight and easily repaired, or they may be so serious as to end 
fatally in the course of a few hours. The gravity will depend 
upon the amount of injury inflicted upon the intestines. Ths 
following divisions of the subject will illustrate this jpobiK. 




380 MEDICINAL. 

ist. Non-perforating Wounds. — A simple wound of the 
walls of the abdomen, not passing through into the abdominal 
cavity, is not more serious than an incised or punctured wound 
elsewhere, and should be treated in the same way. A probe, 
or the finger, will readily detect the fact of a perforation; be- 
sides that, in the event of such an occurrence, there will prob- 
ably be more severe pain in the part. 

2d. Perforating Wounds. — In the event of a stab of the 
abdomen passing through its walls, either the intestines, or 
some other organ, may be wounded. Which of these may be 
injured, it may be difficult even for a surgeon to determine 
exactly. As, however, this treatise will be of more service to 
those who are beyond the reach of surgical aid, we shall 
endeaver to assist their diagnosis by referring to the positions 
of the principal internal organs relatively one to the other. A 
perforating wound, reaching to any one of the organs in the 
abdomen cavity, is attended with symptoms of alarming pros- 
tration. Means should be taken to stanch the bleeding of the 
external wound, and the patient must be supported by stimu- 
lants and light diet. Opium must be given freely to relieve 
pain. It acts beneficially also by moderating the muscular 
movements of the intestines. If there be vomiting of blood, it 
may be feared that the stomach is wounded. There is every 
inducement and hope that by rigidly enforcing rest and quiet- 
ness, with the above means, life may be saved. Wounds even 
of the liver and spleen have been known to heal. 

The next most serious effects of stabs in the abdomen, and 
those which give rise to great fear for the results, are those 
attended with protrusion of the intestines. If, however, the 
latter be not wounded, it may be returned, and the wound 
closed as directed above. Wounds of the walls of the abdo- 
men, through which the intestines protrude, and are themselves 
wounded, call for particular treatment. 

The wounds in the intestines should first be attended to. 
The edges of these should be united by means of a continuous 
or glover's stitch, similar to the stitch used in hemming. It 
should be so done that the exterior surface of the bowel, on 
either side of the cut, shall be in contact; and then the bowel 
having been carefully washed in luke-warm water, should be 
returned, stitches and all. If all goes on well, the silk will be 
removed by the bowel when the wound is healed. The after 
treatment is to be conducted as for a simple punctured wound. 
The general treatment of the perforated wound of the intes- 
tines will be the same as that of wounds of other organs in the 
abdomen — viz., rest of the parts secured by opiates, and sup- 
port of the system by stimulants and light food. 

Gunshot Wounds are perforated, bruised wounds, compli- 



MEDICINAL. 3S1 

cated with nervous shock. These wounds do not bleed so 
much as cuts, but they are more troublesome to heal on 
account of the large amount of destruction of tissue they occa- 
sion. This varies on account of the size of bullet. Another 
.cause for their being more dangerous than cuts is that it some- 
times happens a piece of the wad becomes lodged in the 
wound, and being difficult to detect, is sometimes left behind 
when the bullet is extracted, causing mischief by its presence 
until removed or thrown off in the sloughing of the wound. 
Inflammation generally sets in about the wound within twenty- 
four hours. The external parts become swollen and red, the 
patient complains of pain in the wound. After another day or 
so a discharge of pus and matter appears. The bruised parts, 
or rather those parts with which the ball in its passage has come 
in contact, will now begin to be cast off by sloughing, though 
this process may occupy several weeks before all the dead parts 
or foreign substances are cast off. Mortification may follow a 
gunshot wound if the destruction of tissue be considerable, or 
if much bone be included in it; if the patient be in a bad state 
of health, or if the atmosphere is confined and of an unhealthy 
character. 

Treatment. — Stimulants, such as brandy or wine, should 
be given to relieve the depression; then, if the bullet has com- 
pletely passed through, the surface should be cleaned, and a 
piece of wet lint should be applied. This should be continued 
for three or four days, and then the patient treated as for a 
bruised wound. Bullets are frequently lodged in the wound. 
If visible at the orifice, they should be removed, but if not, 
there should be no attempt made by a non-professional person 
to find them, as much injury may be inflicted in the attempt to 
explore for them. Their removal must be postponed until 
surgical aid can be obtained. 

Wounds and Bruises. Dressings for. — Carded Oakum 
Stypium. — A convenient dressing for confused and lacerated 
wounds. Oakum has this advantage, that where old rope is to 
be found, this substance can be made. It can, however, be 
obtained "carded" for surgical purposes, and in this shape, 
known as "stypium," it is a clean and useful means of arrest- 
ing haemorrhage from wounds by causing coagulation of the 
blood in its meshes, as well as absorbing discharges. The 
creasote, which is one of the constituents of tar, has preserva- 
tive properties, stimulates a sluggish surface, and destroys un- 
pleasant odors. It will be found very useful in the wounds of 
compound and comminuted fracture. 

Carbolated Oil. — Solid carbolic acid liquefied by heat, 
48 minims; olive oil to 4 fluid ounces, Mix. This is an. ad* 



382 MEDICINAL. 

mirable dressing for the suppurating surface of open wounds. 
It should be applied as follows: A piece of soft linen rag, 
rather larger than the surface to be covered, should be steeped 
in the mixture, and carefully drawn from the edge of the wound 
right across it until it is completely covered. Care should be 
taken to exclude all bubbles of air, which should be pressed 
gently out, in order that the oil may be in contact with the 
whole surface. 

Isinglass Plaster. — A very clean, simple and useful kind 
of plaster can be home-made — that is isinglass plaster. What 
is called "Persian" silk, is to be firmly stretched and painted 
with a moderately thick solution of isinglass, which is then suf- 
fered to dry. This plaster has the advantage of allowing the 
state of a cut beneath it to be pretty clearly seen — it is besides 
readily removed, when required, by the application of warm 
water. 

Wounds, Haemorrhage or Bleeding from. — Meaning of 
the Word "Traumatic." — We have elsewhere spoken of the 
various forms of haemorrhage that arise out of the disease of 
the internal organs, and require what is, more strictly speaking, 
called "medical treatment." By "traumatic" bleeding is meant 
the consequence of wounding of the blood vessels, calling for 
surgical means to its arrest. Traumatic or surgical bleeding 
may be either arterial or venous, and require different treat- 
ment accordingly. 

Arterial Haemorrhage. — When a wound or other injury 
causes bleeding of a bright or vermillion red color, the blood 
flows from an artery. This is rendered clearer still if the 
blood flow in spirts or intermittent jets corresponding with the 
beats of the pulse. 

Venous Hemorrhage is known by the even flow of the 
blood and its darker color. 

Treatment. — Venous Bleeding. — If the bleeding from a 
wound be of the dark venous character, or being, as is often 
the case, partly arterial also, but not very profuse, gentle pres- 
sure will sometimes suffice to check the flow; or the application 
of cold water or ice, or exposure to cold air, may stop the 
bleeding. A slight flow of blood can be arrested by matico, 
or by a piece of linen lint' soaked in Friar's balsam or tincture 
of perchloride of iron. 

Arterial Bleeding. — If the bleeding be arterial, as indi- 
cated by its flowing in jets, firm pressure should be made over 
the wounded vessel, if in such a position as to admit of it. 
Supposing that the pressure of the hand does not suffice t<7 
stanch the bleeding, then pressure should be made by tying a 



MEDICINAL. 383 

handkerchief or bandage so that the knot shall press over the 
wound. If the wound has been inflicted on one of the ex- 
tremities, the bleeding may be arrested by tying a ligature 
round the limb, so as to press a pad of lint upon the artery. If 
the pad be soaked in Friar's balsam, or tincture of matico, it 
will be of more service. 

Arresting Bleeding from the Arm. — Pressure by the 
fingers on the main artery of the arm, as it passes in the arm- 
pit along the inner side of the arm under the shoulder joint, 
will assist in checking the hsemorrhage from a wound of the 
forearm or hand. The artery may also be firmly compressed 
at the elbow-joint by bending the arm firmly, and laying the 
hand of the same side on the point of the shoulder. 

Artery of the Thigh. — In cases of obstinate arterial 
bleeding from any part of the lower extremity, firm pressure 
should be made in the groin, where the large artery of the limb 
may be easily felt beating as it passes down the thigh. When, 
by the means above described, the bleeding has been arrested, 
we should proceed to examine the wound with the help of a 
sponge, and search for the bleeding vessel. 

Of Tying an Artery. — Supposing that au tnese means 
have been tried, and the bleeding still continues or returns 
when the pressure is taken off, the wound should be carefully 
washed with a sponge and cold water, and pressure being ap- 
plied, the cut end of the wounded vessel sought for and tied, 
thus: When found, the bleeding end of the vessel should be 
taken hold of with a pair of fine-pointed forceps and held up, 
so that an assistant may pass a piece of silk or thread round it, 
which should then be tied into a double knot, taking care that 
the thread be not tied too tightly, as by doing so the artery 
may again be divided. One end of the thread should then be 
cut off and the other left hanging out of the wound, which 
should then be dressed with lint or linen dipped in cold water. 
The ligature will generally come away in about a week. There 
are other means of checking bleeding, if the vessel wounded is 
not very large, of which the following are the most handy: 

A piece of lint or cotton wool soaked in the tincture of the 
perchloride of iron or tincture of matico may be pressed down 
into the wound in contact with the bleeding vessel. Or, the 
vessel should be lightly and rapidly touched with a piece of 
iron ware heated red hot. This is, perhaps, the most effective 
way of checking the bleeding, and is by no means so painful 
as it might seem. Another plan is to touch the orifice of the 
bleeding vessel with a stick of nitrate of silver. 

Leech Bites. — The bleeding from these is often very 
troublesome more especially when the leeches have been inad" 



3b4 MEDICINAL. 

vb/tently applied at some part of the body where, from the ab- 
sence of bone, there is a difficulty in applying firm pressure. 
For this reason leeches, when applied, should always be placed 
over some bone or other hard part upon which the necessary 
pressure can be applied and continued for some minutes. If 
pressure cannot, for the reason above stated, be applied, the 
bites may be touched with the point of a camel's hair brush 
steeped in tincture of the perchloride of iron, or they may be 
touched with a stick of nitrate of silver, and, as this is generally 
at hand, it is a convenient means. A ready method is to cut a 
small piece of glazed visiting card, and, having pressed with a 
dry handkerchief for a short time on the bites, then quickly, 
before the blood comes again, press the glazed surface of the 
card on the bite, and fasten it there with plaster or a bandage. 

Matico, and Tincture of Matico. — A valuable styptic 
may be kept readily at hand by steeping a few matico leaves in 
a phial with gin, brandy or proof spirit. A piece of lint soaked 
in this will stay the bleeding of slight cuts. Matico leaf itself 
laid on a bleeding surface, or a slight cut, or a leech bite, will 
also stanch the bleeding. 

Fainting. — The faintness that often occurs in cases of 
bleeding, from whatever cause, favors the stanching of the 
blood. All that is required is to place the patient on his back 
with his head low, and administer some slight stimulant. 

Worms, Intestinal. — Symptoms. — Variable and vitiated 
appetite, foetid breath, feverishness, grinding of teeth, picking 
at the nose, itching at the seat, disordered bowels, and pains in 
the stomach. There are three varieties of worms voided from 
the intestines, viz.: ist, the round worm, resembling the common 
earthworm; 2d, the threadworm — some short white worms, 
some of a larger variety; 3d, tapeworm, the length of which 
extends to many feet, and which consists of small square joints. 

Treatment. — The first two of these varieties may be ex- 
pelled by doses of calomel and scammony, or of santonine. 
The third (tapeworm) requires either the oil of male fern (one 
drachm in an ounce of water), taken fasting early in the morn- 
ing; or: Castor oil, one-half ounce; spirits of turpentine, one- 
half ounce; cinnamon water or peppermint water, 2 ounces. 
Mixed, and taken fasting. 

It is seldom necessary to repeat this dose. The tapeworm 
when voided should be carefully examined in order to ascer- 
tain that the head is expelled, since, if this be not the case the 
worm quickly grows again. The head may be recognized by 
means of a common pocket lens. It is very minute, but is 
rounded, on a narrow neck, and presents on its surface sucking 
discs, by which; it attaches itself to th§ in.n§ r/ surfaqe of the 
bowel, 






MEDICINAL. 385 

MISCELLANEOUS RECIPES. 

Remedy for Diphtheria.— The treatment consists in thor- 
oughly swabbing the back of the mouth and throat with a 
wash made thus: Table salt, 2 drachms; black pepper, gold- 
en seal, nitrate of potash, alum, 1 drachm each; mix and 
pulverize; put into a teacup half full of water; stir well and 
then fill up with good vinegar. Use every half hour, one, two, 
and four hours, as recovery progresses. The patient may 
swallow a little each time. Apply 1 ounce each of spirits of 
turpentine, sweet oil, and aqua ammonia, mixed, every hour, to 
the whole of the throat, and to the breast bone every four 
hours, keeping flannel to the part. 

Worm Lozenges. — Powdered lump sugar, 10 ounces; starch, 
5 ounces; mix with mucilage; and to every ounce add 12 grains 
calomel, divided into 20 grain lozenges. Dose, two to six. 

Soothing Syrup. — Take 1 pound of honey; add 2 table- 
spoonfuls of paregoric, and the same of oil of anise seed; add 
enough water to make a thick syrup, and bottle. For children 
teething, dose, teaspoonful occasionally. 

Infants' Syrup. — This syrup is made thus: 1 pound best box 
raisins; 1-2 ounce anise seed; 2 sticks licorice; split the 
raisins, pound the anise seed, and cut the licorice fine; add to 
it 3 quarts of rain water, and boil down to two quarts. Feed 
three or four times a day, as much as the child will willingly 
drink. The raisins are to strengthen, the anise is to expel the 
wind, and the licorice as a physic. 

Swaim's Vermifuge. — Wormseed, 2 ounces; valerian, rhu- 
barb, pink-root, white agaric, of each 1 1-2 ounces; boil in 
sufficient water to yield 3 quarts of decoction; add to it 30 
drops of tansy and 45 drops of oil of cloves, dissolved in a 
quart of rectified spirits. Dose, 1 tablespoonful at night. 

Ayer's Cherry Pectoral. — Take 4 grains of the acetate of 
morphia; 2 fluid drachms of tincture of bloodroot; a fluid 
drachm each of antimonial wine and wine of ipecacuanha, and 
3 fluid ounces of syrup of wild cherry. Mix. 

Brown's Bronchial Troches. — Take 1 pound of pulverized 
extract of licorice; 1 1-2 pounds of pulverized sugar; 4 ounces 
of pulverized cubebs; 4 ounces of pulverized gum arabic, and 
1 ounce of pulverized extract of conium. Mix. 

Russia Salve. — Take equal parts of yellow wax and sweet 
oil; melt slowly, carefully stirring; when cooling, stir in a small 
quantity of glycerine. Good for all kinds of wounds, etc. 

To Extract Teeth with Little or no Pain.— Tincture of 



3S6 MEDICINAL. 

aconite, chloroform, and alcohol, of each i ounce. Mix. 
Moisten two pledgets of cotton with the liquid, and apply to 
the gums on each side of the tooth to be extracted, holding 
them in their place with pliers or other instruments for from 
five to ten minutes, rubbing the gum freely inside and out. 

Tooth Wash. — To Remove Blackness. — Pure muriatic 
acid, i ounce; water, i ounce; honey, 2 ounces. Mix. Take 
a tooth brush and wet it freely with the preparation, and briskly 
rub the black teeth, and in a moment's time they will be per- 
fectly white; then immediately wash out the mouth with water, 
that the acid may not act upon the enamel of the teeth. 

Compound Extract of Buchu. — Buchu leaves, 1 pound; 
boiling distilled water, 3 gallons; boil the leaves in 2 gallons of 
the water down to 6 quarts; then boil it again in the remaining 
water till reduced to 2 quarts. Evaporate the mixed liquors 
down to 6 pints, and add 1 quart strong sage tea, 2 drachms 
bicarbonate of potassa, 2 drachms tincture of cannabis Indica, 
5 ounces rectified spirits, 2 ounces balsam of copabia, and 
Harlem oil. Bottle. 

New Method of Embalming'. — Mix together 5 pounds of 
dry sulphate of alumine, 1 quart of warm water, and 100 grains 
of arsenious acid. Inject three or four quarts of this mixture 
into all the vessels of the human body. This applies as well to 
all animals, birds, fishes, etc. This process supercedes the old 
and revolting mode, and has been introduced into the great 
anatomical schools of Paris. 

Hair Dye. — No. 1. — Take galic acid, 1-2 ounce; alcohol, 8 
ounces; soft water, 16 ounces. Put the acid in the alcohol, 
then add the water. 

No. 2. — Crystalized nitrate of silver, 1 ounce; strongest 
ammonia, 3 ounces; gum arabic, 1-2 ounce; soft water, 6 
ounces. Put the silver in the ammonia; do not cork till it is 
dissolved; dissolve the gum in the water, then mix, and it is 
ready for use. 

Keep Nos. 1 and 2 in separate bottles, and apply each alter- 
nately to the hair. Be particular to cleanse the hair before 
applying the dye. 

Another. — Nitrate of silver, 11 drachms; nitric acid, 1 
drachm; distilled water, 1 pint; sap green, 3 drachms; gum 
arabic, 1 drachm. Mix. 

Another. — Nitric acid, 1 drachm; nitrate of silver, 10 
drachms; sap green, 9 drachms; mucilage, 5 drachms; distilled 
water, 37 1-2 fluid ounces. 



MEDICINAL. 387 

Hair Invigorator — Bay rum, 2 pints; alcohol, 1 pint; 
castor-oil, 1 ounce; carbonate of ammonia, 1-2 ounce; tincture 
of cantharides, 1 ounce. Mix them well. This compound 
will promote the growth of the hair and prevent it from fall- 
ing out. 

Razor-Strop Paste.— Wet the strop with a little sweet oil, 
and apply a little flour of emery evenly over the surface. 

Oriental Cold Cream. — Oil of almonds, 4 ounces; white 
wax and spermaceti, of each, 2 drachms; melt and add rose 
water, 4 ounces; orange-flower water, 1 ounce. Used to soften 
the skin. Apply as the last. 

Shaving 1 Cream. — White wax, spermaceti, and almond oil, 
©f each, 1-4 ounce; melt, and while warm beat in two squares 
ef Windsor soap, previously reduced to a paste with rose water. 

Circassian Cream. — Take 2 ounces of perfectly fresh suet, 
either of mutton or venison; 3 ounces of olive oil; 1 ounce of 
gum benzoin in powder: and 1-4 ounce of alkanet root. Put 
the whole into a jam jar, which, if without a lid, must be tied 
over with bladder, and place the jar in a sauce pan containing 
boiling water, at the side of the fire. Digest for a whole day, 
then strain away all that is fluid through fine muslin, and stir 
till nearly cold. Add, say 1 drachm of essence of almonds 
roses, bergamot, or any other perfume desired. 

Yankee Shaving Soap. — Take 3 pounds of white bar soap, 
1 pound of Castile soap, 1 quart of rain water, 1-2 pint of 
beef's gall, i gill spirits of turpentine. Cut the soap into 
thin slices, and boil five minutes after the soap is dissolved; 
stir while boiling; scent with oil of rose or almonds. If wished 
to color it, use 1-2 ounce vermillion. 

Freckle Cure. — Take 2 ounces of lemon juice, or 1-2 drachm 
©f powdered borax, and 1 drachm of sugar; mix together, and 
let them stand in a glass bottle for a few days, then rub on the 
face occasionally. 

Hair Restorative. — Sugar of lead, borax, and lac-sulphur, 
of each, 1 ounce; aqua ammonia, 1-2 ounce; alcohol, 1 gill. 
These articles are to stand mixed for 14 hours; then add bay 
rum, 1 gill; fine table salt, 1 tablespoonful; soft water, 3 pints; 
essence of bergamot, 1 ounce. This preparation gives a splendid 
glossy appearance to the hair, turns gray hair to a dark color, 
and restores the hair when common baldness sets in. When 
the hair is thin or bald, apply twice a day with a hard brush, 
working into the roots of the hair. For gray hair, once a day 
is sufficient. 



388 MEDICINAL. 

Barber's Shampoo Mixture. — Soft water, i pint; sal soda, 
i ounce; cream tartar, 1-4 ounce. Apply thoroughly to the 
hair. 

Febrifuge Wine. — Quinine, 25 grains; water, 1 pint; sul- 
phuric acid, 15 drops; epsom salts, 2 ounces; color with tinc- 
ture of red sanders. Dose, a wine glass, three times a day. 
This is a world-renowned medicine. 

Barren's Indian Liniment. — Alcohol, 1 quart; tincture of 
capsicum, 1 ounce; oils of origanum, sassafras, pennyroyal, 
and hemlock, of each, 1-2 ounce. Mix. More than $70,000 
have been cleared by the sale of this medicine during the last 
twelve years in the Western States. 

Paregoric. — Best opium, 1-2 drachm; dissolve it in about 
2 tablespoonfuls of boiling water; then add benzoic acid, 1-2 
drachm; oil of anise, 1-2 a fluid drachm; clarified honey, 1 
ounce; camphor gum, 1 scruple; alcohol, 76 per cent., 11 fluid 
ounces; distilled water, 4 fluid ounces. Macerate (keep warm) 
for two weeks. Dose, for children, 5 to 20 drops; adults, 1 to 
2 teaspoonfuls. 

Cough Syrup. — Syrup of squills, 2 ounces; tartarized anti- 
mony, 8 grains; sulphate of morphine, 5 grains; pulverized gum 
arabic, 1-4 ounce; honey, 1 ounce; water, 1 ounce. Mix. 
Dose for an adult, one small teaspoonful; repeat in half an 
hour if it does not relieve. Child in proportion. 

Camphor Ice. — Spermaceti, 1 1-2 ounce; gum camphor, 3-4 
ounce; oil of sweet almonds, 4 teaspoonfuls. Set on stove in 
an earthen dish till dissolved; heat just enough to dissolve it. 
While warm, put into small moulds, if desired to sell; then 
paper, and put into tinfoil. Used for chaps on hands or lips. 

Imperial Drops for Gravel and Kidney Complaints. — Oil 
of origanum, 1 ounce; oil of hemlock, 1-4 ounce; oil of sassa- 
fras, 1-4 ounce; oil of anise, 1-2 ounce; alcohol, 1 pint. Mix. 
Dose, from 1-2 to 1 teaspoonful three times a day in sweetened 
water, will soon give relief when constant weakness is felt across 
the small of the back, as well as gravelly affections causing pain 
about the kidneys. 

Positive Cure for Gonorrohoea. — Liquor of potass, 1-2 
ounce; bitter apple, 1-2 ounce; spirits of sweet nitre, 1-2 ounce; 
balsam of copabia, -1-2 ounce; best gum, 1-4 ounce. To use, 
mix with peppermint water. Take 1-2 teaspoonful three times 
a day. Cure certain in nine days. 

Celebrated Pile Ointment. — Take carbonate of lead, i-a 
ounce; sulphate of morphia, 15 grainsj stramonium ointment, 1 



MEDICINAL. 389 

ounce; olive oil, 20 drops. Mix, and apply three times a day, 
or as the pain may require. 

Sweating" Drops. — Ipecac, saffron, boneset and champhor 
gum, of each, 3 ounces; opium, 1 ounce; alcohol, 2 quarts. 
Let stand two weeks and filter. A teaspoonful in a cup of hot 
sage or catnip tea every hour until free perspiration is induced; 
excellent in colds, fevers, inflammations, etc. Bathe the feet ia 
hot water at the same time. 

Syrup for Consumptives. — Of tamarac bark, take from the 
tree without rossing, 1 peck; spikenard root, 1-2 pound; dan- 
delion root 1-4 pound; hops, 2 ounces. Boil these sufficient to 
get the strength in two or three gallons of water; strain and 
boil down to one gallon; when blood warm, add three pounds 
of best honey, and 3 pints of best brandy; bottle and keep in 
a cool place. Dose, drink freely of it three times per day 
before meals, at least a gill or more; cure very certain. 

Female Complaints. — Pills to Promote Menstrual 
Secretion. — Take pills of aloes and myrrh, 4 drachms; com- 
pound iron pills, 280 grains. Mix, and form into 100 pills. 
Dose 2, twice a day. 

For Obstructed Menstruation. — Sulphate of iron, 60 
grains; potassa (sub. carb.), 60 grains; myrrh, 2 drachms. 
Make them into three and one-half-grain pills; two to be taken 
three times a day, in the absence of fever. For painful men- 
struation, take pulverized rhei, 2 drachms; pulverized jalap, 2 
drachms; pulverized opium, 2 drachms; syrup of poppies to 
mix. Divide into 200 pills, and take night and morning. To 
check immoderate flow: Tincture of ergot, 1 ounce; liquor of 
ammonia, 3 drachms. Mix. Dose teaspoonful in water three 
times a day. 

Stimulant. — In Low Fevers and After Uterine Hem- 
orrhages. — Best brandy and cinnamon water, of each 4 fluid 
ounces; the yolks of 2 eggs, well beaten; loaf sugar, 1-2 ounce; 
oil of cinnamon, 2 drops. Mix. Dose, from one-half to one 
(fluid) ounce, as often as required. This makes both meat 
and drink. Of course, any other flavoring oils can be used, if 
preferred, in place of the cinnamon. 

For Female Complaints. — One of the best laxative pills 
for female complaints is macrotin and rhubarb, each 10 grains; 
extract of hyoscyamus, 10 grains; Castile soap, 40 grains. 
Scrape the soap, and mix well together, forming into common 
sized pills with gum solution. Dose, one pill at bedtime, or 
sufficiently often to keep the bowels in a laxative state. 

Anodyne for Painful Menstruation. — Extract of stra- 
monium and sulphate of quinine, each 16 grains; macrotin. 8 



390 MEDICINAL; 

grains; morphine, i grain. Make into 8 pills. Dose, one pill, 
repeating once or twice only, forty to fifty minutes apart, if the 
pain does not subside before this time. Pain must subside 
under the use of this pill, and costiveness is not increased. 

Powder for Excessive Flooding. — Gums kino and cate- 
chu, each i drachm; sugar of lead and alum, each 1-2 drachm. 
Pulverize all and thoroughly mix, then divide into 7 to 10 
grain powders. Dose, one every two or three hours until 
checked, then less often merely to control the flow. 

Injection for Leucorrhea. — When the glairy mucus dis- 
charge is present, prepare a tea of hemlock inner bark and 
witch hazel (often called spotted alder) leaves and bark, have a 
female syringe large enough to fill the vagina, and inject the 
tea, twice daily; and occasionally in bad cases, say twice a 
week, inject a syringe of the following composition: 

For Chronic Female Complaints. — White vitriol and 
sugar of lead, each 1-8 ounce; common salt, pulverized alum, 
and loaf sugar, of each, 1-2 drachm; soft water, 1 pint. Inject 
as above. 

For Prolapsus Uteri, or Falling of the Womb. — Not 
only the cheapest but the best support will be found to be a 
piece of firm sponge, cut to a proper size to admit, when damp, 
of being pressed up the vagina to hold the womb in its place. 
The sponge should have a stout piece of small cord sewed two 
or three times through its centre up and down, and left suffic- 
iently long to allow its being taken hold of to remove the 
sponge once a day, or every other day at the farthest, for the 
purpose of washing, cleaning, and using the necessary injec- 
tions; and this must be done while the patient is lying down, 
to prevent the womb from again falling or prolapsing. After 
having injected some of the above tea, wet the sponge in the 
same, and introduce it sufficiently high to hold the womb in 
its place. If pain is felt about the head, back, or loins, for a 
few days before the menses appear, prepare and use the fol- 
lowing: 

Uterine Hemorrhages. — Unfailing cure. Sugar of lead, 
10 grains; ergot, 10 grains; opium, 3 grains; epicac, 1 grain; 
All pulverized and well mixed. Dose, 10 to 12 grains, given 
in a little honey or syrup. In very bad cases after childbirth, 
it might be repeated in thirty minutes, or the dose increased to 
15 or 18 grains; but in cases of rather profuse masting, repeat 
it once at the end of three hours, or as the urgency of the >ase 
may require. 

In every case of female debility make a liberal use of iron, 
as the want of iron in the system is often the cause of the 
trouble. Mix fine iron filings with as much ground ginger. 



MEDICINAL. 391 

Dose, half of a teaspoonful three times daily in a little honey or 
molasses; increase or lessen the dose to produce a blackness of 
the stools. Continue this course until well. 

Nerve and Bone Liniment. — Beef's gall, i quart; alcohol, i 
pint; volatile liniment, i pound; spirits of turpentine, i pound; 
oil origanum, 4 ounces; aqua ammonia, 4 ounces; tincture of 
cayenne, 1-2 pint; oil of amber, 3 ounces; tincture of Spanish 
flies, 6 ounces. Mix well. 

Positive Cure for Ague Without Quinine.— Peruvian bark, 
2 ounces; wild cherry tree bark, 1 ounce; cinnamon, 1 drachm; 
capsicum, 1 teaspoonful; sulphur, 1 ounce; port wine, 2 quarts. 
Let it stand two days. Buy your Peruvian bark and pulverize 
it yourself, as it is often adulterated otherwise. Dose, a wine- 
glass full every two or three hours after fever is off, then two 
or three per day till all is used. A certain cure. Before taking 
the above, cleanse the bowels with a dose of epsom salts, or 
other purgative. 

Green Mountain Salve. — For rheumatism, burns, pains in 
the back or side, &c. Take 2 pounds of rosin; burgundy 
pitch, 1-4 pound; beeswax, 1-4 pound; mutton tallow, 1-4 
pound. Melt slowly. When not too warm, add oil hemlock, 
1 ounce; balsam fir, 1 ounce; oil of origanum, 1 ounce; oil of 
red cedar, 1 ounce; Venice turpentine, 1 ounce; oil of worm- 
wood, 1 ounce; verdigris, 1-2 ounce. The verdigris must be 
finely pulverized and mixed with the oils; then add as above, 
and work in cold water like wax till cold enough to roll; rolls 
five inches long, one inch in diameter, sell for 25 cents. 

English Remedy for Cancer. — Take chloride of zinc, blood 
root pulverized, and flour, equal quantities of each, worked into a 
paste and applied. First spread a common sticking-plaster, 
much larger than the cancer, cutting a circular piece from the 
centre of it a little larger than the cancer, applying it, which 
exposes a narrow rim of healthy skin; then apply the cancer 
plaster, and keep it on 24 hours. On removing it, the cancer 
will be found to have been burned into, and appears the color 
of an old shoe sole, and the rim outside will appear white and 
parboiled, as if burned by steam. Dress with slippery-elm 
poultice until suppuration takes place, then heal with any com- 
mon salve. 

Charcoal, a Cure for Sick Headache. — It is stated that two 
teaspoonf uls of finely powdered charcoal, drank in half a tumbler 
of water will, in less than fifteen minutes, give relief to the sick 
headache, when caused, as in most cases it is, by superabund- 
ance of acid on the stomach. 

Felons. — If Recent, to Cure in Six Hours. — Venice 
turpentine, 1 ounce; and put it into half a teaspoonf ul of water, 



392 MEDICINAL. 

and stir with a rough stick until the mass looks like a candied 
honey; then spread a good coat on a cloth, and wrap 
around the finger. If .the case is only recent it will remove the 
pain in 6 hours. 

Felon Salve. — A salve made by burning one tablespoonful 
of copperas, then pulverizing it and mixing with the yolk of an 
egg, is said to relieve the pain, and cure the felon in 24 hours; 
then heal with cream two parts, and soft soap one part. Apply 
the healing salve daily after soaking the part in warm water. 

Felon Ointment. — Take sweet oil, 1-2 pint, and stew a 
three-cent plug of tobacco in it until the tobacco is crisped,* 
then squeeze it out and add red lead, 1 ounce; and boil until 
black; when a little cool add pulverized camphor gum, 1 
ounce. 

Warts and Corns. — To Cure in Ten Minutes. — Take 9 
small piece of potash, and let it stand in the open air until it 
slacks, then thicken it to a paste with pulverized gum arabic, 
which prevents it from spreading where it is not wanted. 

Liniment for Old Sores. — Alcohol, 1 quart; aqua ammonia, 
4 ounces; oil of origanum, 2 ounces; camphor gum, 2 ounces; 
opium, 2 ounces; gum myrch, 2 ounces; common salt, 2 table- 
spoonfuls. Mix, and shake occasionally for a week. 

Liniment. — Good Samaritan. — Take 98 per cent, alcohol, 
2 quarts, and add to it the following articles: Oil of sassafras, 
hemlock, spirits of turpentine, tincture of cayenne, catechu, 
guaiac, (guac) and laudanum, of each 1 ounce; tincture of 
myrrh, 4 ounces; oil of origanum, 2 ounces; oil of wintergreen, 
1-2 ounce; gum camphor, 2 ounces; and chloroform, 1 1-2 
ounces. This is one of the best applications for internal pains 
known; it is superior to any other enumerated in this work. 

Electro-Magnetic Liniment. — Best alcohol, 1 gallon; oil ol 
amber, 8 ounces; gum camphor, 8 ounces; Castile soap, shaved 
fine, 2 ounces; beef's gall, 4 ounces; ammonia, 3 F's strong, 12 
ounces. Mix, and shake occasionally for 12 hours, and it is fit 
for use. This will be found a strong and valuable liniment. 

Great London Liniment,— Take chloroform, olive oil, and 
aqua ammonia, of each 1 ounce; acetate of morphia, 10 grains. 
Mix and use as other liniments. Very valuable. 

Ointments.— ~For Old Sores. — Red precipitate, 1-2 ounce; 
sugar of lead, 1-2 ounce; burnt alum, 1 ounce; white vitriol, 1-4 
ounce, or a little less; all to be very finely pulverized; have 
mutton tallow made warm, 1-2 pound; stir all in, and stir until 
cool. 



MEDICINAL. 393 

Judkins Ointment. — Linseed oil, i pint; sweet oil, i ounce; 
and boil them in a kettle on coals for nearly 4 hours, as warm 
as you can; then have pulverized and mixed borax, 1-2 ounce; 
red lead, 4 ounces; and sugar of lead, 1 1-2 ounce; remove the 
kettle from the fire, and thicken in the powder; continue the 
stirring until cooled to blood-heat, then stir in 1 ounce of 
spirits of turpentine; and now take out a little, letting it get 
cold, and, if not then sufficiently thick to spread upon thin, 
soft linen, as a salve, you will boil again until this point is 
reached. It is good for all kinds of wounds, bruises, sores, 
burns, white swellings, rheumatisms, ulcers, sore breasts; and, 
even when there are wounds on the inside, it has been used 
with advantage by applying a plaster over the part. 

Green Ointment. — Honey and bees-wax, each 1-2 pound; 
spirits of turpentine, 1 ounce; wintergreen oil and laudanum, 
each 2 ounces; verdigris, finely pulverized, 1-4 ounce; lard, 1 1-2 
pounds; mix by a stove fire, in a copper kettle, heating slowly. 

Mead's Salt-Rheum Ointment. — Aqua fortis, 1 ounce; quick- 
silver, 1 ounce; good hard soap dissolved so as to mix readily, 

1 ounce; prepared chalk, 1 ounce; mixed with 1 pound of lard; 
incorporate the above by putting the aqua fortis and quick- 
silver into an earthen vessel, and, when done effervescing, mix 
with the other ingredients, putting the chalk in last, add a little 
spirits of turpentine, say 1-2 tablespoonful. 

Itch Ointment. — Unsalted butter, 1 pound; burgundy pitch, 

2 ounces; spirits of turpentine, 2 ounces; red precipitate, pul- 
verized, 1 1-4 ounces; melt the pitch and add the butter; stir- 
ring well together; then remove from the fire, and, when a little 
cool, add the spirits of turpentine, and lastly the precipitate, 
and stir until cold. 

Jaundice. — Dr. Peabody's Cure. — In its Worst Forms. 
— Red iodide of mercury, 7 grains; iodide of potassium, 9 
grains; aqua dis (distilled water) 1 ounce; mix. Commence by 
giving 6 drops three or four times a day, increasing 1 drop a 
day until 12 or 15 drops are given at a dose. Give in a little 
water, immediately after meals. If it causes a griping sensa- 
tion in the bowels, and fullness in the head, when you get up 
to 12 or 15 drops, go back to 6 drops, and up again as before. 

Inflammatory Rheumatism. — Wright's Cure. — Sulphur 
and salt-petre, of each 1 ounce; gum guaiac, 1-2 ounce; col- 
chicum root, or seed, and nutmegs, of each 1-4 ounce; all to be 
pulverized and mixed with simple syrup, or molasses, 2 ounces. 
Dose, 1 teaspoonful every two hours until it moves the bowels 
rather freely; then 3 or 4 times daily until cured. 

Asthma Remedies. — Elecampane, angelica, confrey, and 
spikenard roots with hoarhound tops, of each 1 ounce; bruise 



394 MEDICINAL. 

and steep in honey, i pint. Dose, a tablespoonful, taken hot 
every few minutes until a cure is affected. 

Another. — Oil of tar, i drachm; tincture of veratum vi- 
ride, 2 drachms; simple syrup, 2 drachms; mix. Dose, for 
adults, 15 drops 3 or 4 times daily. Iodide of potassium has 
cured a bad case of asthma by taking 5 grain doses, 3 times 
daily. Take 1-3 ounce, and put into a phial, and add 32 tea- 
spoonful of water; then 1 teaspoonful of it will contain the 5 
grains, in which put 1-2 gill more water, and drink before meals. 

Dropsy Pills. — Jalap, $0 grains; gamboge, 30 grains; podo- 
phyllin, 20 grains; elatarium, 12 grains; aloes, 30 grains; cay- 
enne, 35 grains; Castile soap, shaved and pulverized, 20 grains; 
croton oil, 90 drops; powder all finely, and mix thoroughly; 
then form into a pill mass, by using a thick mucilage made of 
equal parts of gum arabic and gum tragacanth, and divide in 
3 grain pills. Dose: 1 pill every 2 days for the first week; then 
every 3 or 4 days, until the water is evacuated by the com- 
bined aid of the pill with the alum syrup. This is a powerful 
medicine, and will thoroughly accomplish its work. 

Eclectic Liver Pills. — Podophyllin, 10 grains; leptandrin, 
20 grains; sanguinarian, 10 grains; extract of dandelion, 20 
grains; formed into 20 pills by being moistened a little with 
some essential oil, as cinnamon, peppermint, etc. Dose: In 
chronic diseases of the liver, take a pill at night for several 
days, or 2 may be taken at first to move the bowels; then 1 
daily. 

Positive Cure for Hydrophobia. — The dried root of elecam- 
pane, pulverize it,and measure out 9 heaping tablespoonf uls, and 
mix it with 2 or 3 teaspoonfuls of pulverized gum arabic; then 
divide into 9 equal portions. When a person is bitten by a 
rabid animal, take one of these portions, and steep it in 1 pint 
of new milk, until nearly half the quantity of milk is evaporated; 
then strain, and drink it in the morning, fasting for four or 
five hours after. The same dose is to be repeated three morn- 
ings in succession, then skip three, and so on till the 9 doses 
are taken. 

The patient must avoid getting wet, or the heat of the sun, 
and abstain from high-seasoned diet, or hard exercise, and, if 
costive, take a dose of salts. The above quantity is for an 
adult; children will take less according to age. 

Eye Preparations. — Eye Water. — Table salt and white 
vitriol,of each 1 tablespoonful; heat them up on copper or earthen 
until dry; the heating drives off the acrid or biting water, called 
the water of crystalization, making them much milder in their 
action; now add them to soft water, 1-2 pint; putting in white 
sugar, 1 tablespoonful; blue vitriol, a piece the size of a common 



MEDICINAL. 395 

pea. If it should prove too strong in any case, add a little 
more soft water to a phial of it. Apply it to the eyes three or 
four times daily. 

India Prescription for Sore Eyes. — Sulphate of zinc, 
3 grains; tincture of opium (laudanum) i drachm; rose water, 
2 ounces; mix. Put a drop or two in the eye, two or three 
times daily. 

Another. — Sulphate of zinc, acetate of lead, and rock 
salt, of each, 1-2 ounce; loaf sugar, 1 ounce; soft water, 12 
ounces; mix without heat, and use as other eye waters. 

If sore eyes shed much water, put a little of the oxide of 
zinc into a phial of water ; and use it rather freely. It will 
soon cure that difficulty. 

Copperas and water has cured sore eyes of long standing; 
and used quite strong, it makes an excellent application in ery- 
sipelas. 

Indian Eye Water. — Soft water, 1 pint; gum arabic, 1 
ounce; white vitriol, 1 ounce; fine salt, 1-2 teaspoonful; put all 
into a bottle, and shake until dissolved. Put into the eye just 
as you retire to bed. 

Egyptian Cure for Cholera. — Best Jamaica ginger root 
bruised, 1 ounce; cayenne, 2 teaspoonfuls. Boil all in one 
quart of water to one-half pint, and add loaf sugar to form a 
thick syrup. Dose: One tablespoonful every fifteen minutes, 
until vomiting and purging ceases: then follow up with a black- 
berry tea. 

King of Oils, for Neuralgia and Rheumatism. — Burning 
fluid, 1 pint; oils of cedar, hemlock, sassafras and origanum, 
of each, 2 ounces; carbonate of ammonia, pulverized, 1 ounce. 
Mix. Directions. — Apply freely to the nerve and gums 
around the tooth; and to the face in neuralgic pains, by wet- 
ting brown paper and laying on the parts, not too long, for fear 
of blistering. To the nerves of teeth by lint. 

Neuralgia. — Internal Remedy. — Sal-ammoniac, 1-2 
drachm; dissolve in water, 1 ounce. Dose, one tablespoonful 
every 3 minutes for 20 minutes, at the end of which time, if 
not before, the pain will have disappeared. 

Wens. — To Cure. — Dissolve copperas in water to make it 
very strong; now take a pin, needle, or sharp knife, and prick 
or cut the wen in about a dozen places, just sufficient to cause 
it to bleed; then wet it thoroughly with the copperas water 
daily. 



396 MEDICINAL. 



POISONS. 



Animal Poisons. — In the first class is poisoning from cer- 
tain shellfish, such as mussels, lobsters, etc., the eating of which 
is sometimes followed by an eruption of nettle-rash over the 
whole body, which causes it to have a swollen, bloated appear- 
ance, and produces difficulty of breathing, accompanied with 
giddiness, nausea, stomach-ache, and great thirst. 

Treatment. — If commenced within two or three hours 
after the appearance of the symptoms, an emetic of mustard, 
salt, and warm water, should be given. The emetic should be 
compounded thus: 

Mustard, i teaspoonful. 

Common salt, i teaspoonful. 

Warm water, i tumblerful. 
Mix, and take as a draught. 

Should, however, a longer time have elapsed, purgatives, 
such as a teaspoonful of castor-oil, or half an ounce of epsom 
salts, should be administered and repeated until full action is 
obtained. Stimulants, such as salvolatile, or aromatic spirits 
of ammonia, and ether, may also be administered if there be 
much depression. 

The following form would be a useful draught: Take of 
nitrous spirits of ether, 30 minims; spirits of salvolatile, 30 
minims; water, to make up 1 1-2 ounces. Repeat the dose 
every two or three hours until the system rallies. 

Vegetable Poisons. — Of these, the most commonly met 
with are the aconite or monkshood, belladonna or deadly night- 
shade; the hellebore, hemlock, henbane, foxglove, laburnum, 
yew, colchicum, or meadow saffron, and mushrooms, all of 
which are indigeneous to this country. Others, such as opium, 
Indian hemp, nux vomica, and gamboge, are not native here. 

Among vegetable poisons should be included oxalic acid, 
and that most deadly of all poisons, prussic acid, which is 
found in undiluted " almond flavoring," used for culinary 
purposes. 

Symptoms. — Vegetable poisons have many features in com- 
mon, thus they are strongly acrid and narcotic, or depressing, 
causing drowsiness, feebleness of pulse, vomiting, purging, 
griping. 

Under the following enumeration, the symptoms peculiar to 
each will be found, together with their appropriate treatment: 

Aconite {Monkshood). — Symptoms. — A sensation of burn- 
ing, tingling or numbness, in the mouth and throat. Giddiness, 
loss of power to stand firmly, pain in the region of the stomach, 
frothing at the mouth, vomiting and purging. The pupils are 



MEDICINAL. 307 

dilated, the skin cold and livid, the breathing becomes difficult. 
In some cases delirium and paralysis follow. 

Treatment. — An emetic should immediately be given, 
such as a mixture of mustard, salt, and warm water, thus: 
Mustard, i teaspoonful; common salt, i teaspoonful; warm 
water, a tumblerful. Or, sulphate of zinc, 20 grains; water, 1 
ounce. Given every half hour until the stomach has been 
emptied of the poison. Acidulous fluids, such as vinegar and 
water, and cordials should be given freely. External warmth 
should be kept up by mustard plasters, hot water bottles to the 
feet and friction to the surface. 

Distinction. — The root of this plant is often mistaken for 
horseradish which it closely resembles; therefore great care 
should be taken not to allow the two plants to grow in the 
same garden. The leaves and seeds of the plant are also pois- 
onous. 

Belladonna {Deadly Nightshade). — The leaves, berries, 
stalks — or extract or tincture made from these — are most com- 
monly met with as a cause of poison. 

Symptoms. — Heat and dryness of mouth, a feeling of tight' 
ness in the throat. Nausea, vomiting, giddiness, indistinct or 
double sight, intense excitement, delirium of a peculiar kind, 
the patient twists himself round and round, butts against the 
wall with his head, and performs various other antics. These 
are followed by heaviness and lethargy. 

Treatment. — Begin by giving freely a mixture of about 
one part of vinegar to two of water. Then cause evacuation 
of the stomach by means of emetics, such as mustard, 1 tea- 
spoonful; common salt, 1 ditto; warm water, a tumblerful. 
Taken at a draught. Or, sulphate of zinc, 20 grains; water, r 
ounce. Dissolved, and taken as a draught. Promote vomiting 
by warm water slightly acidulated with vinegar. The bowels 
should be emptied by injections of castor oil. 

Digitalis Purpurea {Foxglove). — Symptoms. — Vomiting, 
purging, accompanied with severe pain in the stomach. This 
is followed by a state of lethargy, during which the patient 
will sleep for hours; this, again, is followed by convulsions. 
The pupils are dilated and insensible to the stimulating effect 
of light; the pulse becomes small and irregular; and, should 
the dose have been large, and the proper measures not adopted, 
coma or insensibility of a severe kind will rapidly set in, and 
be followed by death. 

Treatment. — A free use of emetics (see under Hemlock) 
should be pursued. Drinks containing tannic acid, such as 



398 MEDICINAL. 

strong tea and infusion of gall-nuts, should be given; if the 
prostration be great, brandy should be given freely. 

All the parts of this plant are poisonous. They owe their 
poisonous properties to an active principle called digitalin. 
This, in combination with tannic acid, is rendered innocuous; 
hence the reason for its administration in cases of poisoning. 

Gamboge (Cambogid). — Symptoms. — Violent vomiting, se- 
vere pain in the stomach and excessive purging, followed by 
great prostration of strength. 

Treatment. — Carbonate of potash should be given as fol- 
lows: Carbonate of potash, 20 grains; mucilage, or solution 
of gum, 1-2 ounce; water to make up 1 ounce. Mix, and take 
every hour until the purging has stopped. When this is the 
case, and the poison is supposed to have been evacuated, give 
the following every half houn Tincture of opium, 10 drops; 
water, 1 ounce. Mix. Gamboge is a gum resin obtained from 
the Garcinia Morella, a native of Spain. It is but little used 
in legitimate medicine, on account of its violent and uncertain 
action. Quack pills contain it in very variable quantities. 

Hellebores, the. — The Green Hellebore (Helleborus virids). 
The White Hellebore ( Veratrum album). The Black Hellebore, 
or Christmas rose {Helleborus niger). The Foetid Hellebore 
{Helleborus Fcetida). All of these are powerful poisons, the 
white hellebore especially so. 

Symptoms. — Vomiting, purging, giddiness, dilation of the 
pupils, convulsions, insensibility, great heat of the throat, and 
tightness, with severe pain in the stomach. 

Treatment. — Vomiting should be excited by large doses 
of solution of gum, and other mucilaginous fluids, such as 
milk, white of egg, etc., and injections of the same materials 
should be thrown up into the bowel. Coffee should then be 
given freely, and acidulous fluids and camphor-water. The 
roots and leaves of this plant are both poisonous, the roots 
especially. 

Hemlock (Com'um Maculatum). — Symptoms.— This plant 
attacks the muscular power, and causes paralysis of the limbs, 
sickness, pain in the head, drowsiness, and sometimes it so 
affects the muscles of respiration as to cause death. 

Treatment. — The stomach should be evacuated by some 
powerful emetic, such as the following: Sulphate of zinc, 20 
grains; dissolved in water, a wineglassful. Or, mustard, 1 tea- 
spoonful; common salt, 1 teaspoonful; water, a tumblerful. 
After this cold water should be applied to the head. Vinegar 
and water (see under Deadly Nightshade) should be adminis- 
tered. The poisonous properties of this plant reside in the 



MEDICINAL. 399 

leaves, which somewhat resemble parsley, for which they have 
occasionally been mistaken. The seeds and the root are also 
poisonous. 

Henbane {Hyoscyamus). — Symptoms. — Vomiting, double 
vision, dilatation of the pupils, sleepiness, loss of muscular 
power, a peculiar tremulous motion of the limbs, flushing of 
the countenance, heat and weight of head, giddiness, fullness of 
the pulse and general excitement. If the dose has been a 
large one, the symptoms will be aggravated; there will be loss of 
speech, delirium, coma, coldness of the surface, and jerkings 
of the muscles. 

Treatment. — As soon as possible empty the stomach by 
emetics, and give acidulous drinks; if, however, the poison has 
entered the system, purgatives must be given. The seeds are 
the most poisonous, the leaves next, and the roots last. 

Indian Hemp {Cannabis Indicd). — Haschisch. — Symp- 
toms. — Much the same as those of opium, but are of a much 
more pleasant nature to the patient, being associated with 
delightful dreams and visions. 

Treatment. — Much the same as in the case of poisoning 
by opium. 

Cases of poisoning by this plant are very rarely met with in 
America. In hot climates, however, it is frequently met with, 
especially in India. 

Laburnum {Cyitalisus Laburnum). — Symptoms. — Pain in the 
stomach, followed by vomiting and severe convulsions if the 
dose has been a large one. There is also shivering, great 
feebleness, and severe purging. 

Treatment. — The vomiting should be encouraged by muci- 
lage, milk, white of an egg, flour and water. Should the 
feebleness be very great, cordials and brandy should be given 
in repeated and small doses. The bark and seeds of this plant 
are poisonous, and owe their deleterious properties to an active 
principle called Cytisine. 

Meadow Saffron [Colchicum autumnale). — Symptoms. — 
A burning pain in the gullet and stomach, violent vomiting, 
and sometimes bilious purging. 

Treatment. — Give some mild emetic, thus: Ipecacuanha 
wine, one-half ounce; honey, i tablespoonful; milk, a teacup- 
ful. Stir up and mix thoroughly, and let the patient take it at 
a draught. This should be repeated every quarter of an hour 
till vomiting sets in. Of course the dose of ipecacuanha wine 
should be smaller for children, one-half or one-fourth of the 
above quantity being ample for a child under five years old. 



400 MEDICINAL. 

Then give opium as follows (to adults only); Powdered opium, 
3 grains; confection of dog rose, sufficient to make a small 
mass with the opium. Divide this into six pills, and let the 
patient have one every four hours, until the symptoms of 
poisoning abate. Or, tincture of opium, i fluid drachm; water, 
to six fluid ounces. Mix. Two tablespoonfuls to be taken 
every two hours. 

Mushrooms {Fungi). — Symptoms. — Pain in the stomach 
accompanied with vomiting, giddiness, drowsiness, dimness of 
sight, and debility. The patient appears to be intoxicated. 

Treatment. — This cannot be better expressed than in the 
terse and plain terms of Professor Taylor. They are: "The 
free use of emetics and castor oil." 

Nux Vomica {Strychnine). — Symptoms. — An intensely 
bitter taste in the mouth. Tipsy manner, sickness, headache, 
jerking of the arms and legs, and twitching of the body; lock- 
jaw, great difficulty in breathing, with intense pain in the chest, 
and a sense of suffocation. 

Treatment. — Evacuate the stomach and bowels. Give 
vinegar (see Deadly Nightshade) and other acidulous drinks. 
If the spasm be very severe and constant, and do not yield to 
the emetics, etc., then try injections of infusions of tobacco, as 
follows: Tobacco (shag), 30 grains; water, 8 fluid ounces. 
Mix, and allow to stand for half an hour, occasionally shaking. 
Then strain and inject into the bowel in the intervals of the 
spasms. 

Strychnia is one of the most deadly poisons, a very small 
quantity being capable of killing a strong man. 

Opium. — An extract from the poppy. {Papaver Somniferd). 
— Symptoms. — Drowsiness, stupor, delirium, pallid counte- 
nance, contracted pupil, sighing, loud or snoring respiration, 
cold sweats, coma, and death. 

Treatment. — Emetics of the sulphated zinc (see under 
Hemlock), or, if the patient be too far gone to take these, the 
stomach pump should be applied. The patient should on no 
account be allowed to sleep, but his attention should be con- 
stantly aroused. A good plan is to walk the patient rapidly 
and incessantly about. A tepid bath is useful for arousing the 
sleeping energies, and cold water should be dashed over the 
head at the same time. Opium is the juice of the poppy, which 
runs from the incisions made in the unripe fruit. Its principal 
properties are due to an active principle contained in it, which 
is called morphia. In cases of overdoses of this drug, the same 
treatment should be adopted, 






MEDICINAL. 401 

Oxalio Acid. — Symptoms. — If the dose be a large one, while 
it is being swallowed a hot, burning, acid taste is experienced, 
extending downward to the stomach; vomiting then occurs, or 
within a few minutes. There is a severe feeling of tightness 
in the throat, and sometimes delirium. When the dose is 
smaller the pain is less, and vomiting does not set in so soon. 
At times there is no vomiting, at others it alone causes death 
by causing exhaustion. 

Treatment. — Some chalk and water should be immedi- 
ately administered, and a quantity of water drunk to encourage 
vomiting. This is not often administered with a criminal 
intent, the taste is too strong; but it is taken sometimes in mis- 
take for epsom salts, which it somewhat resembles. 

Pmssic Acid {Hydrocyanic Acid). — Symptoms. — Pallid 
appearance, giddiness, great nervous prostration, loss of sight 
more or less complete, faintness, labored and hard respiration, 
loss of power of motion. 

Treatment. — The stomach pump should be applied; or, 
if this is not handy, emetics, such as mustard, salt . and water. 
(See under Hemlock). Dash cold water over the head and 
chest. Give salvolatile as follows: Spirits of sal volatile, i 
drachm; water, to i ounce. Mix. Every quarter of an hour 
until there is some signs of revival. Prussic acid is the most 
powerful poison known. This poison is often met with in the 
essential oil of almonds, and great care should therefore be 
taken in the use of this pleasant flavoring. 

Yew (Taxus baccatd). — Symptoms. — Professor Taylor 
gives the symptoms of poisoning by this plant as follows: 
Convulsions, insensibility, coma, dilated pupils, pale counte- 
nance, small pulse, and cold extremities are the most promi- 
nent; vomiting and purging are also observed among the symp- 
toms." 

Treatment.— As in many other vegetable, indeed it might 
safely be said in all poisons, vomiting should be excited, and 
this is best done, and perhaps in the quickest, safest manner, by 
an emetic of mustard, salt and water. Should the convulsions 
be very acute, and there be great heat of head, cold should 
be applied. If the pulse is very small, and the prostration of 
the patient is great, as soon as the stomach is thoroughly 
emptied, brandy should be given. 

It is commonly supposed that the leaves of this plant are 
not poisonous when fresh, but this is erroneous. They are at 
all times poisonous. The berries also are very dangerous, more 
especially to children, as they have an agreeable taste, and look 
tempting. The danger of the leaves is not so much for the 
human race as it is for cattle, who are fond of eating them. 



402 MEDICINAL. 

Mineral Poisons.— The mineral poisons are perhaps the 
most commonly used for criminal and suicidal purposes, and 
they are certainly more easily detected by chemical means than 
are either the vegetable or animal poisons. Science has yet 
found out but few certain tests for the vegetable poisons com- 
pared with the large number of accurate and easily available 
tests for the mineral poisons. 

Perhaps the most important of this class of poisons is 
arsenic, as it is certainly the most fatal; others, such as anti- 
mony, copper, lead, mercury, and the acids, are in many cases 
very fatal, but few of these possess the power of destroying 
life to anything like the extent that is possessed by arsenic. 

Acid, Carbolic. — The powerful odor of this acid prevents 
its being frequently taken accidentally, but it has been taken 
with suicidal intent. 

Symptoms. — These are much the same as the other power- 
ful irritant poisons. There is an intense burning in the mouth 
and gullet, accompanied with a feeling of tightness in the throat, 
vomiting of shreds of mucus, griping pain in the stomach, 
the lips and insides of the cheeks present a charred appearance, 
and, if its action be not checked, the nervous system suffers, 
and the organs of the senses are impaired, and death rapidly 
follows. 

Treatment.— Albuminous fluids should be given in large 
doses, such as white of egg, flour and water, gruel and milk. 
Magnesia, and chalk and water, is used in these cases. Emetics 
of mustard should also be freely administered. 

Acid, Hydrochloric {Muriatic Acid. Spirits of Salt). — 
Both the symptoms and treatment of a case of poisoning by 
this acid are given under Sulphuric Acid. 

Acid, Nitric {Aqua Fortis).— Symptoms. — (See Sulphuric 
Acid.) The only difference is that nitric acid does not cause 
such a dark discoloration of the lips and mouth. 

Treatment.— Precisely the same as under case of Sulphuric 
Acid. 

Acid, Sulphuric {Oil of Vitriol). — This acts as a poison by 
its powerful corrosive powers. It seldom causes death by its 
absorption into the system, but rather by the excessive irrita- 
tion and inflammation which it causes to the lining of the 
mouth, the gullet, and the stomach. It immediately causes the 
skin to have a charred appearance of a whitish hue, which 
gradually becomes darker and browner; it causes pain in the 
stomach, vomiting, and eructations of a gaseous character; 
great nervous depression, which is also shared by the pulse; 
convulsions, and death, 



MEDICINAL, 403 

Treatment. — Give magnesia and water, or lime-water; or, 
should neither of these be at hand, give soap and water freely. 

Antimony (Tartar Emetic Butter of Antimony). — Symp- 
toms. — These are very much the same as those of arsenic, with 
the exception that the depression, vomiting, and collapse are 
much more rapid, owing to the immediate action of the poison 

the heart. 

Treatment. — Should the vomiting not occur freely, it will 
be as well to give an emetic, and afterwards a dose of tannic 
acid and water, thus: Tannic acid, 10 grains; water, i ounce. 
Mix. Or, a dose of very strong tea, or infusion of gall-nuts, 
mixed with magnesia. 

Arsenic {Realgar or Red Arsenic, White Arsenic, Scheeles 
Green, Orpiment, or Yellow Arsenic). — Symptoms. — An un- 
pleasantly strong metallic taste, a tightness in the throat, 
vomiting of a brown mucus character, mixed with blood, 
fainting, great thirst, excessive pain in the stomach, with 
shivering purging, the stools being very offensive and of a 
dark character, pulse small and rapid, great nervous prostra- 
tion and delirium. Arsenic is sometimes administered in 
repeated small doses, and by this means is produced a state 
which is called " chronic arsenical poisoning." In this case, 
disorder of the stomach and bowels exists, but does not form 
such a prominent symptom as in the more acute form of this 
poisoning. There will be redness and smarting in the eyes, 
great sensibility of the skin, at times accompanied either by a 
rash, which consists of minute vesicles or blisters, or else by 
nettle-rash. There is also local paralysis — that is to say, par- 
alysis of one particular set of muscles, accompanied, or rathei 
preceded, by numbness and tingling in the fingers and toes. 
The patient loses flesh and becomes exhausted. Sometime* 
the skin peels off, and loss of hair occurs. 

Treatment. — A substance termed hydrated peroxide of 
iron has been strongly vaunted as an antidote to arsenic. The 
best way to give it is to mix a tablespoonful with water, and 
give every five or ten minutes. Should this not be procurable, 
it is best to use the stomach-pump or emetics. (See under 
Hemlock.) Large quantities of mucilage should be given to 
drink, or eggs, or milk. When the worst symptoms have 
subsided, and the patient is out of immediate danger, he should 
be kept in bed, with warm poultices applied to the pit of the 
stomach. Small pills of one grain of opium should be given 
every four hours while pain continues, but no violent aperient. 
Arsenic is one of those poisons which, begun with very small 
doses, and gradually increasing them, may become almost 
harmless. One form of arsenic (" Scheele's green ") is largely 



404 MEDICINAL. 

used as a coloring for room papers. In this form it often does 
insidious mischief, as it separates from the paper in minute 
particles, and circulates freely in the air of the room as dust. 
This fact may be proved by submitting some of the dust which 
collects on bookshelves, etc., in a room thus ornamented to a 
few simple chemical tests, or by causing some expert to analyze 
it. By so doing, the inquirer will often receive satisfactory- 
evidence of the existence of this poison, if he has not previ- 
ously had some practical experience of its effects. 

Copper {Blue Vitriol. Mineral Green. Verdigris). — Symp- 
toms. — These, again, are much the same as in arsenic, but rather 
less acute. It may here be stated that many alleged cases of 
poison by verdigris, from cooking vessels, etc., are in reality 
owing to bad or decomposed food. A poisonous dose of salts 
of copper is always followed (if the patient recovers from the 
first effects) by inflammation of the bowels. 

Treatment. — Begin with the stomach-pump, or an emetic. 
When the stomach has been evacuated, give white of egg, flour 
and water, milk. The subsequent inflammation of the bowels 
should be treated as described under arsenic. 

Lead {White Lead. Sugar of Lead). — Symptoms. — This 
also causes many of the symptoms described under arsenic, 
when taken in a large quantity; but there is a particular form 
of disease called lead colic, which particularly affects workers 
in lead (see colic); these people are also subject to a form of 
paralysis (see paralysis). 

Treatment. — When taken in a large dose, give an emetic 
of sulphur of zinc or copper (see hemlock). If the pain in the 
stomach be severe, small doses of tincture of opium, about 10 
minims, should be given at short intervals, combined with 
sulphate of magnesia. 

Mercury {Corrosive Sublimate. Calomel. White Precipi- 
tate). — Symptoms. — Intense metallic taste in the mouth, pain 
in the stomach, purging, vomiting, etc.; in fact, the symptoms 
of nearly all metallic poisons are similar. There are, of course, 
certain peculiarities belonging to each, and that belonging to 
mercury is the largely increased flow of saliva, commonly called 
" salivation," which almost invariably follows a poisonous dose 
of mercury in any of its forms. The period which elapses 
between the taking of the poison and appearance of the saliva- 
tion, varies from a few hours to some days. 

Treatment. — An emetic of sulphate of zinc or copper (as 
under hemlock) should be given in white of egg, mixed with 
milk or water, milk, and flour and water in large draughts. 
When the salivation sets in, the following will be found useful 






MEDICINAL. 405 

when in conjunction with astringent gargles: Iodide of potas- 
sium, 24 grains; tincture of bark, 1 ounce; water, to 8 ounces. 
Mix, and take two tablespoonfuls three times a day. A good 
form of an astringent gargle is as follows: Alum, 30 grains; 
water, to 4 ounces. Mix, and use about a tablespoonful as a 
gargle every three or four hours. 

Ammonia. — Symptoms. — Pungent acrid odor, hot taste, 
stomach-ache, followed by convulsions, delirium, and death. 

Treatment. — Vinegar and water in large doses, lemon 
juice and olive oil. For any other of the alkalies, soda or 
potash, in their caustic forms, the same treatment should be 
pursued. 

Chloride of Zinc. — Symptoms. — Pain of a burning kind in 
the throat, nausea and vomiting, griping pains in the stomach, 
pallor and coldness, the legs are drawn up, and there are 
appearances of collapse. 

Alkalies. — The strong or concentrated preparation acts 
with extreme corrosive violence on the mouth, gullet, and stom- 
ach. Should the action of this poison be further continued, it 
will" be found that it affects the nervous system. This will be 
demonstrated by the patient's sight becoming dim, and the 
power of taste and smell less acute than it is normally — by 
extreme depression, syncope, and death. 

Treatment. — Milk and white of egg should be given freely, 
and emetics of mustard and warm water, combined with flour 
or oatmeal. 

Baths and Bathing. — In infancy, bathing or washing at 
least twice a day is necessary to preserve the skin in a healthy 
condition. In so doing, however, care must be taken that the 
surface of the body be not chilled; a judicious warmth (avoid- 
ing too great heat) should be studied. In the early weeks of 
life the body does not readily maintain its own temperature; 
hence the reason that the young of animals remain a certain 
time constantly near their mother. It is the same with our 
infants; no warmth is so equable or so good for them during the 
few first days or weeks of life as the warmth of their mother; 
hence, also, the necessity for a warm bath as the means of 
cleanliness. 

A fallacy lurks in the notion of hardening children. The 
argument in favor of the attempt so to do, drawn from the 
"state of nature," is altogether a dangerous fallacy. All that 
can really be said in its favor is that it is not possible to kill all 
the children submitted to the system. The delicate ones will 
be sifted out, and the hardy ones will survive in spite of "sys- 



406 MEDICINAL. 

tern." It is an error in reasoning to quote the savage state as 
that of nature, and, therefore, worthy of imitation. It may be 
urged with greater force that the nature of man's mental en- 
dowments tends to raise him from the savage to the civilized 
state. The natural state of man is that of civilization, with its 
attendant fostering care of infantile existence. 

Sponge Bath. — In after-life the daily sponge bath con- 
tributes greatly to the preservation of health, by the promotion 
of cleanliness, and by the exhilarating influence in stimulating 
the circulation of the blood on the surface of the body. The 
warmth of reaction is more sure to follow if the bath be used 
on rising, while the body is still warm, and before the surface 
is chilled by exposure in dressing In using this, a due regard 
to the feelings should be observed. Some persons are extremly 
sensitive to cold, while others enjoy its reaction and bracing 
influence. The temperature of the water should, therefore, be 
regulated by the climate, weather, and individual susceptibility. 
After sponging, the whole body should be briskly dried with a 
rough towel, and a glow of warmth will follow. 

Cold Bath. — (Temperature 50° to 60 °.) — A cold bath 
will vary in its effects according as it is taken in a small bath, 
or in a river, the sea, or a quantity of water large enough for 
swimming, and according to the temperature of the air. The 
benefit to be derived from a cold bath is governed also pretty 
much by the state of the bather, or on the greater or less vigor 
of the heart's action, and of the circulation in the skin. A cold 
bath should not be taken with a cold skin; the best preparation 
is the warm glow of exercise. A plunge (head first) into cold 
water, even when hot and perspiring alter exercise, and a good 
swim for a few minutes, is more surely followed by healthful 
reaction than the waiting until the body is dry and cool, or per- 
haps chilled by evaporation of perspiration. A cold bath with- 
out the active exercise of swimming should not be prolonged 
beyond three or four minutes; even the good swimmer must be 
warned that prolonged action of cold incurs the risk of cramp. 

Persons in impaired state of health should take little more 
than a single immersion, and this should be followed by friction 
of the surface with towels or dry flannels. Such persons should 
avoid bathing on an empty stomach; it is better not to take a 
cold bath immediately after a meal. 

The answer to questions on the advisability of cold bathing, 
whether in the sea or otherwise, is to be found in the state of 
the pulse and of the skin. With a feeble pulse and a disposi- 
tion to palpitation of the heart, the flow of blood through the 
skin is sure to be tardy, as compared with that of health, and 
reaction will consequently be slowly established at the risk of 
congestion of internal organs. Hence, in persons disposed 



MEDICINAL. 407 

towards head, or heart, or lung affections, great caution should 
be exercised. Persons who are subject to palpitation of the 
heart, giddiness, etc., had better avoid the cold bath. 

Generally, it may be laid down as a rule that if cold bathing 
be not followed by a glow of warmth on the skin, it should not 
be repeated. 

About two or three hours after a meal is the best time for 
cold bathing. 

The Tepid Bath (temperature 70 ° to 80 ° ) is suitable 
for those whose health, or sensitiveness to cold, forbid the use 
of the cold bath. The same rules, however, apply especially 
as regards the delicate in health. 

The Hot Bath (temperature 98 ° to 1 10 ° ) differs from 
the cold or tepid bath, inasmuch as they are preservative of 
health, while this is curative of disease. 

It opens the pores of the skin, relaxes the muscles, soothes 
the nervous system, and (after its first stimulation of the heart's 
action is past) is a valuable agent in reducing fever and inflam- 
matory action by the profuse perspiration that it induces — so 
much so, that it is often an efficacious remedy in the treatment 
of inflammation. 

In the convulsions of infancy, the hot bath, continued from 
five to ten minutes, is an important part of the treatment. 

In order to avoid any possible risk of the sudden immer- 
sion in hot water, it is a safe plan to have the bath at about 
95 ° to begin with, and gradually raise the temperature to 
100 ° , or even 105 ° , if profuse perspiration afterwards be de- 
sired; in this case, the bath may be continued by an adult 
twenty minutes or half an hour. On coming out of the bath, 
after rapidly wiping the surface of the body, a warm blankst 
should be wrapped round before getting into a warm bed. 

When it is desirable to give a hot bath to a child for any 
febrile malady, or in any case where the child would be fright- 
ened at being put into the water, its fears may be disarmed by 
covering the bath with a blanket, and letting the little patient 
down gently into the bath. 

Vapor Bath (temperature 100 ° to 120 °) is of great use 
(n exciting perspiration in catarrh, in simple fever, and in rheu- 
matism. It may be extemporized by sitting on a chair en- 
closed in a blanket, and having a pail of hot water placed 
under the chair, adding to the water some red-hot stones, or 
brick, or iron chain. If a long pipe can be connected with the 
spout of a large kettle, and made to pass within the blanket, 
it affords a ready means of making a vapor bath. 

Hot-air Bath. — (Temperature 100 ° to 120 ° .) — This acts 
in the same way as a vapor bath. It is readily made by burn- 



408 MEDICINAL. 

ing some spirits of wine under the canopy of blanket. A con» 
venient mode is, after the patient is seated and covered up to 
the throat with blankets, to place an ounce of spirits of wine in 
a cup, the cup standing in a basin with some water, then light 
the spirit and let it burn out. 

The Turkish Bath, a combination of these, is useful in 
rheumatic and other chronic diseases, but requires to be used 
for medical purposes only under medical advice. 

Hydropathy professes the cure of disease by baths of 
various kinds. It can only be properly practiced in establish- 
ments especially devoted thereto. It is expensive and, there- 
fore, only within the reach of comparatively few. 

SLEEP. 

No rule can be observed with regard to the proportion of 
time that should be given to sleep. Much depends upon indi- 
vidual habit and disposition. The active mind and cheerful 
disposition that is never more happy than when busily em- 
ployed, and finds its recreation in change of work, will gener- 
ally sleep soundly and be refreshed, by six or seven hours' 
sleep. Less than this cannot be safely devoted to sleep by any 
one who does a good day's work, either bodily or mentally. 
There have been those who could abridge their hours of sleep 
to four, three, or even two, hours out of the twenty-four, but 
they paid the penalty of such an infringement of nature's laws 
by shortening the number of their days, and embittering them 
by the impairment of health. 

The daily wear and tear of life needs the restoration of 
sleep to ensure healthy balance of nervous power, and that 
equanimity of mind so desirable in this world' s strife and tur- 
moil. 

Infants and children require more sleep than grown-up 
persons. In fact the early days of infancy are passed in 
sleeping, to the infant's great gain. If otherwise its health 
soon suffers, and shows the want of "balmy sleep." Warmth, 
sleep, and food are all that are wanted in early infancy. For 
the first three or four years the mid-day "nap" contributes to 
the vigor and activity of the young, child. 

Throughout childhood up to puberty from twelve to four- 
teen hours' sleep is not an undue allowance. At all events, if 
less time be accorded for sleep, "early to bed" is a golden 
maxim. The practice of allowing infants and young children 
to be awake and up until ten or eleven o'clock at night, amid 
the glare of lights, and perhaps the noise and excitement of 
festivity, is the most injudicious sort of kindness to which they 
can be exposed. 



MEDICINAL. 409 



CLIMATE. 



This word embraces the consideration of many topics 
which our limits forbid our touching upon; but, as the present 
work will doubtless be read in all parts of the country (at least 
such is our hope), it would be incomplete without a few re- 
marks thereon in relation to the causation and treatment of 
disease. 

"The climate of a country or district," Dr. Copland re- 
marks, "depends, ist, upon its position in respect of distance 
from the equator, and upon its elevation above the level of 
the sea, and its proximity to the shores of the ocean, or the 
beds of large rivers, etc.; 2nd, upon the geological and miner- 
alogical formations constituting the basis of its soil; 3rd. upon 
the nature of the soil itself, its cultivation, and the evgetable 
productions by which it is covered; and, 4th, upon the prevail- 
ing winds or currents of the air." 

. The Effect of Change of Climate. — An inhabitant of 
a temperate climate going to a tropical country will suffer from 
excitement of the nervous and vascular systems, by the heat 
and moisture of the air. The respiratory functions become 
less active; while there is a decrease of the ordinary action of 
the kidneys in carrying off the refuse matters of the circulation. 
The consequence is that the skin and the liver have an excess 
of work thrown upon them (to speak metaphorically, and also 
exactly), in order to rid the system of certain effete elements 
which the lungs cannot throw off. 

Hence the " seasoning fevers," as they are called, and the 
disorders of the liver tO which Europeans are specially liable 
on arrival in a hot climate, and to which full often they render 
themselves the more obnoxious by injudicious diet. An eminent 
English authority says that: 

Europeans visiting hot climates should live abstemiously, 
taking every means to promote the functions of the skin by 
moderate exercise, and by daily free ablutions. Exposure of 
the head to the heat of the sun should be carefully avoided, as 
well as the risk of contracting fever by exposure to dews, the 
cold, and the malaria of the night air. Warm clothing should 
be worn at night by new-comers, as the extremes of day and 
night temperature in tropical regions often pass through a very 
wide range. 

The effects of a warm and moist climate upon the inhabit- 
ants of colder regions, in decreasing the functional activity of 
the lungs, and increasing that of the liver and skin, has formed 
the basis of the recommendation of a change from a cold to a 
warm climate in pulmonary affections. It is, however, very 
doubtful whether the relaxing and enervating influence of the 
heat on the nervous system does not more than counterbalance 



410 MEDICINAL. 

this functional compensation. Certainly, when disease in the 
lungs has advanced much, more harm than good generally 
comes of the migration. On the other hand, the tonic and 
bracing effect of a cold climate more frequently checks the 
advance of consumption, if care is taken to protect the surface 
from sudden chills, and so to protect it as to ensure a free cir- 
culation of the blood in the skin by out- door exercise. The 
British Hippocrates, Sydenham, was wont to call horse exercise 
the " palmarium remedy " for consumption, so strongly was he 
convinced of the importance of out-door exercise. A confir- 
mation of this opinion is to be found in the fact that coachmen 
(if temperate men) are among the healthiest classes. In the 
days when locomotion was performed more on horseback than 
is now the case, it was said that " bagmen," or commercial 
travelers, enjoyed a singular freedom from consumption. 
Unfortunately, however, these men, then as now, too often 
threw away their better health by their irregularities in other 
directions. 

While the stress of the effects of removal to warm climates 
upon the inhabitants of temperate regions is thus seen to fall 
upon the liver and skin, the reverse is seen to occur when the 
natives of hot climates migrate to colder countries. The 
negro, brought direct from Africa to England, will almost surely 
be the victim of consumption. 

The change of climate must therefore be guided by these 
several conditions, both of place and person, and may further 
have to be altered according to the changes of the seasons, and 
according to the special character of the season itself. Thus, 
it not unfrequently happens that the south coast of England is 
not suitable for invalids, even so late as June, if easterly winds 
prevail. The air is then almost as keen as that of the directly 
eastern coast, and a return inland becomes inevitable. 

Consumption. — In this disease, change of climate, to be 
productive of real benefit, must be tried at a much earlier 
period than is generally done, as it is often delayed a year or 
two after the period that any good can be expected, and the 
result is that more harm than good is done thereby. Hence 
the trial is often not made through the discredit that arises out 
of its misapplication. It should be borne in mind that 
consumption is not merely a disease of the lungs, but a general 
morbid constitutional condition, of which the disease in the 
lungs is but a manifestation. The early treatment must, there- 
fore, be directed to invigorating the system and improving 
the quality of the blood. With these objects, the climate most 
suitable for winter residence are those of our southern coast, 
Madeira, Nice, Pisa, and Rome, with removal during summer 
months to the drier situations of our own islands. 



MEDICINAL. 411 

Chronic Bronchitis. — This is an affection that is often 
mistaken for consumption, and one which, through its persis- 
tence and its debilitating and emaciating effects, constitutes a 
veritable decline. The change from a cold and moist to a 
mild and dry air relieves the morbid conditions of the mucous 
surfaces. The same climates that are of service in consumption 
are beneficial in chronic bronchitis. When asthma is combined 
with chronic bronchitis, it is also relieved by the same climate 
as is found useful in chronic consumption. Torquay and Un- 
dercliff, for example, are most adapted to irritable states of the 
mucous membrane without much secretion; Clifton or Brighton 
for those in which expectoration is profuse and the system 
debilitated; Rome, Pisa, Madeira, are suited for the latter class 
of cases; Nice to the former. 

Chronic Rheumatism.— This is benefitted by residence in 
a warm climate, such as the southwestern coast of England, 
the south of France, Rome, and Pisa. 

Gout. — This also derives benefit by a warm climate. The 
West India Islands are especially marked in this respect. 

Dyspepsia and nervous affections connected therewith are 
aggravated by a cold and damp atmosphere, and are greatly 
relieved by change to a drier and warmer climate; but great 
care in dieting is needful in order to ensure the full benefit of 
the change. The use of stimulants must be very carefully 
watched. The nervous symptoms associated with dyspepsia 
are prone to take on the form of hypochondriasis; the change 
of climate should therefore be accompanied with change of 
occupation and of amusement. This class of cases rapidly 
improve under change of scene, and the relinquishment of the 
cares of business, to say nothing of " throwing physic to the 
dogs." 

diet in relation to disease. 

In acute diseases, the diet should generally be of the 
simplest and lightest kind, such as beef -tea or mutton-broth, 
sago, tapioca, arrowroot, or gruel, with, at the same time, some 
little respect paid to the palate. Due regard, however, must be 
paid to the general character and condition of the constitution. 
For instance, acute diseases may occur in a very debilitated 
state of the health, and then may require the addition to the 
above of some alcoholic stimulant. The stomach in such 
cases would not be able to digest solid food. The absence of 
this must be supplied by soups, broths, eggs, etc. 

In the feeding of invalids, even children, some attention 
may be paid to their cravings after different articles. It will 
often be found that the thing longed for is not injurious, and 



412 MEDICINAL. 

may be often called for in obedience to some indication by 
nature. The following incident may serve to illustrate this 
observation: A child of about four or five years old was suffer- 
ing under diphtheria, and had got to refuse the port wine and 
beef-tea that had been ordered it. It seemed that there was 
nothing for it but that the child must die from starvation and 
diphtheria together. One day she woke up from a nap and saw 
a glass of ale, which was being drunk by its mother with her 
luncheon. This ale the child cried for, but the mother feared 
to allow her to drink. When appealed to, the medical attend- 
ant said, " By all means let the child have it; and even put it 
in her way that she may take it herself without let or hind- 
rance." The next time the child woke up she eagerly clutched 
at the malt liquor and drank off a tumblerful. From that 
moment she began to mend, and for the next forty-eight hours 
persistently refused everything else, either as food or medicine, 
and eventually made a good recovery. When the disease, 
though acute, is of a less severe character, and is not stamped 
with extreme debility, the stomach will tolerate light solids, 
such as white fish, fowls, bread, rice, light puddings, and ripe, 
pulpy fruit and vegetables may be taken with advantage, as the 
acids allay thirst. In chronic disease a fuller diet is required, 
comprising meat with some stimulant. 

Milk. — Milk is the most important article of diet in infancy, 
and is also both nutritious and digestible in diseases of adult 
life. A prejudice exists in the minds of many persons to the 
effect that milk is not easily digested. The opinion is, how- 
ever, refuted by the fact that it forms the nourishment of 
infants and of young animals of all kinds. Cow's milk, how- 
ever, is sometimes unsuited to the stomachs of infants brought 
up by hand; or, from its richness in oil and curd, to the stom- 
achs of persons enfeebled by disease. The best substitute 
that can be used is asses' or goat's milk. The latter, however, 
is richer than the former. 

For the first three or four months of an infant's life the 
best food is breast-milk alone. If for any reason this cannot 
be given, asses' milk is the best substitute. Next to this cow's 
milk, diluted with an equal proportion of water in which 
half a teaspoonful of powdered sugar of milk has been 
dissolved. Cow's milk differs from human milk in its excess 
of cream and curd. The cream consists almost wholly of oil 
globules. The addition of a solution of sugar-of-milk reduces 
it in one direction, and raises it in another, to the level of 
human milk; thus, sugar-of-milk contains all the saline mat- 
ters of the milk from which it was made; therefore, by its ad- 
dition (with water) to cow's milk, while the curd and oil are 
diluted, the deficiency of the salts is supplied, aod thereby its 



MEDICINAL. 413 

composition is as nearly as possible equalized or assimilated 
one to the other. 

Most infants will thrive well on this hand-feeding, but there 
are two points of essential importance to its success. One is 
the giving the food with regularity. For the first two or three 
weeks the child should be fed every two hours during the day } 
and once or twice in the course of the night. The interval 
should gradually be lengthened after the month. 

The same rule as to time should be observed, whatever be 
the food, whether breast-milk or any substitute. 

Feeding-bottles Objectionable. — The next point, and 
one (if possible) more important, is that the feeding-bottle 
should be most scrupulously cleaned each time immediately 
after feeding, or small quantities of milk remaining in the tube 
or teat will become sour. The. minutest particle of sour milk 
taken into the stomach with the other will act after the manner 
of a ferment, and favor the turning sour of the whole quantity. 

It should, however, here be noted, that it does not follow 
that, because when a child vomits its milk it is found curdled, 
therefore the whole has been sour at the time of taking it. 
The first step in the digestion of the milk is that it is curdled 
by the gastric juice of the stomach, and afterwards dissolved 
by it. This process, however, is very different from the curd- 
ling of milk by its having turned sour out of the stomach, and 
it has a very different result in the process of digestion. 

There is another grave objection to these tubes — they en- 
gender and foster idleness on the part of the nurse. It is a 
common practice to put an infant into its bed or cradle, with 
the teat in its mouth and the bottle in bed, and there to leave 
it to suckle itself to sleep; which it generally does, sucking the 
while even after it has fallen asleep and its bottle is emptied. 
The child goes on sucking at the tube, but getting no food; the 
fiifant, in popular phrase, "sucks in wind." If it does not ex- 
actly suck the wind, its fruitless sucking at a piece of india- 
rubber keeps up secretion of gastric juice in the stomach. 
This, having no food to act upon, acts abnormally upon the 
stomach itself, and sets up various disorders of that organ 
and of the intestines. Such a mode of nursing is little better 
than the " Gampish " trick of sticking into the child's mouth a 
raisin in a piece of muslin to " keep it quiet." They are alike 
occasions to evade the duty of really hand-nursing and carry- 
ing the child in arms. 

Beef Tea is the staple of existence in many cases of illness; 
it is food and physic both in some fevers. It must be most 
carefully made, on Liebig's principles. The heat employed 
should not exceed 150 . A thermometer, however, is not 
commonly at hand, but the meat should be cut up small and 



4U MEDICINAL. 

merely covered with water, in a bottle jar, in a sauce pan with 
cold water, near a fire, so as not to allow it to boil, but merely 
to stew for three or four hours. The fat may be separated by 
allowing it to get cold and then skimming it off. Mutton-broth 
might be made on the same plan, and would be more nourisk- 
ing than that commonly made. 

In the ordinary way of making beef tea, by boiling lumps 
of meat, a strong jelly may be formed, and is supposed to show 
its strength; but each lump is really case-hardened, and the 
most nourishing part locked up in each piece. The explana- 
tion is that flesh consists largely of albumen, which coagulates 
at 150 ° F.; therefore the boiling temperature, 212 ° F., 
hardens the outer part at once, and slowly the interior. T© 
give a culinary illustration, the best way to cook a boiled joint 
of meat is to put it into water already boiling, and continue 
boiling the requisite time; the outside is at once hardened, and 
the gravy is locked up inside. 

Eggs. — For the same reason the white of eggs, which con- 
sists wholly of albumen, is a most excellent medium of nutri- 
ment, where, for any reason, beef tea cannot be given. The 
white of egg stirred into cold or lukewarm milk can often be 
given to children or other patients who refuse beef tea. It is 
tasteless and colorless, therefore its presence can be disguised; 
whereas the yolk of egg contains fatty matters with albumen, 
and is easily recognized by the child both from its color and 
its flavor. 

Water, either as an ordinary article of diet or a means of 
allaying the thirst in febrile states, requires that great care 
shall be taken to ensure that it shall be free from impurities. 
The most dangerous impurities to which water is obnoxious 
are gaseous matters, and insoluble animal and vegetable mat- 
ters. Gaseous matters and vapors are readily absorbed by 
water, as seen in the ordinary experience of placing a basin or 
tub of water in a newly painted room, whereby the smell of the 
paint is quickly removed. Water, by reason of the same prop- 
erty, should never be drank from a cistern into which there is 
a waste pipe having a direct communication with a drain or 
reservoir. The poisonous gases arising from the decomposing 
sewage are absorbed by the water, which thus becomes the 
vehicle for the conveyance of the poison of malignant fevers. 

The decomposing animal and saline matters of sewage also 
readily percolate a porous soil; so that if a well and cesspool 
be near one another, as is often the case both in town and 
country, the water becomes the channel through which deadly 
poison is carried. 

Rain water received into leaden cisterns, or water in tanks 
having leaden pipes leading from them, is often contaminated 






MEDICINAL. 415 

by a portion of that metal becoming oxidized and dissolved, 
producing colic and other signs of lead poisoning. 

For ordinary domestic purposes, water is classed as hard or 
soft. The latter is rain water; the former spring or river water. 
These vary much in their degree of hardness, as may readily 
be noticed by their behavior with soap. With hard water the 
soap does not readily make a lather, but curdles on the hand. 
The source of hardness of water is in the lime and other salts 
that are dissolved out of the strata of the earth through which 
it has passed. These may be separated to a considerable ex- 
tent by boiling, or by the addition of small quantities of bicar- 
bonate of soda. This is the object of some persons who put a 
«mall portion of bicarbonate of soda into the teapot whea 
snaking tea. 

Insoluble impurities can be separated by niters, or by any 
arrangement by which it is made to pass through fine sand or 
broken charcoal. The charcoal has the property of absorbing 
gases from water and rendering it sweet and pure. 

In the treatment of disease, water is of primary importance, 
as it allays thirst and fever by diluting the blood and giving 
the medium by which a poison may be eliminated from the 
system. In fever and in cholera thirst is often the one great 
complaint, and the cry is for water ! water \ This indication of 
nature may safely be followed, and the patient allowed to 
drink as freely as he will. 

Water is the chief of diuretics; it increases the secretion of 
urine, and promotes thereby the evacuation of effete or irri- 
tant matters from the blood. 

Farinaceous Foods. — Farinaceous food* should be cau- 
tiously given to young infants. Neither the secretion of the 
saliva in the mouth, nor of the gastric juice in the stomach, 
is adapted for their digestion. Among the farinaceous foods, 
suitable for young children, are baked flour, corn flour, biscuit 
powder, arrowroot, ground root, etc. It is not possible to say 
in which case each of these may be most suitable; what may 
be easily digested by one child may not agree vith another, 
or with the same child for long together. After five or six 
months a crust may be given, but should be carefully watched. 
When some teeth are cut, the admixture of solids may occa- 
sionally be permitted; but, even when all the teeth are cut, it 
is advisable only to give meat- every other or every th*r4 day. 
Soups, beef tea, etc., may be given at other times. 

General Diet. — It is scarcely necessary here to eixter 
upon the diet for adults in health, as this will depend very 
much upon the pursuits and inclinations of each. It is weli 
known that those who work hare fc&n generally eat well with- 



413 MEDICINAL. 

oat much regard to what is put before them=— "Hunger is their 
best sauce." 

It may suffice to offer a few remarks on the digestibility of 
some article of food as a guide to invalids, and with reference 
to the diet recommended under the several headings of disease 
in the following pages. 

It may be stated generally that beef is less digestible than 
mutton, especially for persons subject to dyspepsia. Beef is 
more easily digested cold than hot by delicate stomachs. Both 
these meats will require upwards of three hours for digestion. 
Salt beef will demand twice the time. Veal, lamb, and young 
meat generally, is not so easy of digestion as the meat of ani- 
mals killed at maturer age. Pork in any form is less readily 
digested than other meats. 

Fowls, Poultry, Game, though generally regarded as 
light and digestible, are not always so in the cases of the invalid 
or convalescent; they are not wholly digested much under 
four or five hours. 

Fish, especially the white sorts, are easy of digestion, ac- 
cording as they are plainly cooked. Salted fish are more slowly 
digested fish, as also are those that are fat, . such as salmon- 
Much depends, however, upon the cooking, and of the adjuncts, 
the sauces, etc. 

Melted butter is usually taken with fish, but is better omit- 
ted when they are food of the invalid. Butter, when melted, 
or prepared in any way over fire, readily becomes altered in its 
composition, and yields various fatty acids, which are the 
sources of indigestion. This is more especially the case with 
pastry, such as short pie-crust, etc. For the delicate stomach, 
fish cannot be too plainly and simply cooked; under these 
circumstances they form a light and nutritious diet. 

Shell Fish, including under the term oysters, mussels, 
whelks, lobsters, crabs, are more or less difficult of digestion, 
and unsuitable for invalids; Oysters are, perhaps, the least 
open to the objection, but they require three or four hours' 
digestion, and are not the light nourishment usually supposed, 
unless very carefully cooked. Sweetbread and tripe are easy 
of digestion, as also are the brains of animals. Liver and 
kidneys are the reverse of digestible. 

Ripe Fruits and Vegetables are more easily digested 
than any of the preceding articles; but then, as they consist of 
a large proportion of water, they are not so nourishing as ani- 
mal substances. Vegetarians supplement the deficient nutri 
tive qualities of vegetables by a liberal allowance of animaJ 
matter in the shape of eggs and milk. 



MEDICINAL. 417 

Cheese, being almost entirely an albuminous substance, 
contains a very large amount of nutriment; but, from this ele- 
ment being combined with the fatty acids and some of the oily 
constituents of milk, it is not easily digested by weak stomachs 
when taken alone. It nevertheless is often useful in prompt- 
ing the digestion of other food, to which it sometimes acts 
after the manner of a ferment when taken in small quantities; 
for instance, after dinner. 

Sausage, when fresh, are not unwholesome, and they con- 
tain a large quantity of nourishment in a compact form. 

Alcoholic Stimulants. — The treatment of disease, and 
more particularly of convalescence, can scarcely be conducted 
without the adminstration of stimulants; but it is obvious that 
it should be accompanied with emphatic caution lest the use 
grow into the abuse thereof. An occasional dose may soon 
become the habitual dram, unless self-denial and self-control 
be exercised. 

We are not here called upon to follow in the wake of those 
who feel it their duty to expose the errors and weaknesses of 
their neighbors; suffice it that we admit that in all directions 
we see too free indulgence in alcoholic stimulation. There 
can be no two opinions upon that point. There is no amount 
of health or wealth that cannot or will not surely be destroyed 
by any one who determinedly gives himself up to drink. 

The medicinal uses of stimulants are most found in chronic 
disease, or in acute disease occuring in extremely debilitated 
states. It is greviously to be lamented that the medical recom- 
mendation of stimulants is not always sufficiently guarded and 
watched. There has been of late a fashion to regard and to 
teach that all disease proceeds from debility, and therefore that 
it must be treated with alcoholic stimulants. Allowing (which 
we do not) that such might be the case, yet the inference that 
alcohol is the remedy is by no means conclusive. A supply 
of wholesome nourishment with avoidance of the causes of 
disease, and bodily and mental rest, will be surer in their pres- 
ent effects and safer in future results. Few medical practi- 
tioners can pass many years, or even months, without meeting 
with the melancholy results of intemperance that began with 
the medicinal use of brandy and water, champagne, etc. The 
possibility is here referred to simply as a warning to those who, 
consulting these pages, may feel justified in advising the use of 
alcoholic stimulants as a means of combating disease, lest they 
forget to look also to the discontinuance of their use. As 
regards the dietic use of alcoholic stimulants, we have only a 
few words to add to the caution already given. 

Malt Liquors are, as a general rule, the most wholesome 
of alcoholic beverages. The alcohol is in them so combined 






418 MEDICINAL. 

with saccnarine matter and tonic vegetable principles that it 
can only be separated by a distillation destructive of all other 
qualities. A small quantity of mild ale or porter, taken with 
dinner and supper, or luncheon and dinner, supports the 
strength, and supplies wear and tear. 

Wines resemble malt liquors in that, when pure, the alcohol 
is in a state of chemical combination that can only be super- 
ceded by destructive distillation. They have not, however, so 
much solid matter suspended in them as malt liquors. They 
are, for this reason, better suited to persons of weak digestive 
powers. The dietic and the therapeutic uses of wines must 
depend upon their percentage of alcohol, and upon the devel- 
opment in them of certain acids and spirituous combinations 
termed ethers, which constitute what judges of wine call the 
"bouquet." The proportion of unfermented sugar also is a 
point to be considered in selecting wine for invalids. Thus, 
there are sweet and astringent wines, as there are red and white 
wines, and there are wines in which the fermentations of the 
sugar is checked, and the sparkling of effervescing wine is pro- 
duced. 

Effervescing wines, champagne and Moselle, are among 
the most valuable wines for medicinal purposes. The free 
carbonic acid they contain renders them very serviceable in 
sickness and vomiting, while the alcohol, being in some pecu- 
liar state of combination, is more volatile, acts as a more rapid 
stimulant, effects passing off more rapidly than those of other 
and stronger wines. 

Astringent wines, such as Burgundy, Hungarian, Bordeaux, 
etc., are less liable to ferment in the stomach. Port, Madeira, 
sherry, Marsala, are all stronger wines, and are said to be 
highly brandied, and therefore less wholesome for ordinary 
consumption; but they are (if moderately good) more useful 
for medicinal purposes than the lighter wines, which may be 
safer for daily use dietically. In this matter, however, as in 
many others where eating and drinking are concerned, quantity 
is often a more important element in the question than quality. 
There is, moreover, so much in fashion that it is almost impos- 
sible to say which wines are best. Moderation is the golden 
jule. 

Spirits, the type of which may be taken to be brandy, are 
•only of value as medicinal agents, and for these purposes they 
are sometimes invaluable — e. g., in low fevers, in some inflam- 
mations, and in state of debility, in sickness, and generally as 
indicated under the several headings of diseases in the pre- 
ceding pages. We have no hesitation in affirming that raw or 
diluted raw spirits can never be advantageously used merely as 



MEDICINAL. 



419 



ordinary beverages by those who can obtain wholesome malt 
liquor or wines. 

The habit of spirit-drinking (as grog every night) as prac- 
ticed by many "very respectable people" in the middle classes, 
is not one whii morally or physically better than the habits of 
the poor besotted creatures who swarm in and out of the Lon- 
don gin palaces. With the moral aspects of the habit it may 
be said that we are not concerned, but of the physical aspects 
we feel morally bound by a solemn responsibility to speak. 
From our own personal observations we would warn all whom it 
may concern, that the "night-cap," as it is miscalled, gradually 
generates disease of the brain, liver, kidneys, with all the horri- 
ble train of diseases — delirium, paralysis, dropsy, cum multis 
aliis. 




420 



MEDICINAL. 



MEDICINES AND THEIR DOSES. 

Over and above the physical and psychological agencies 
which have been referred to in various parts of these remarks, 
we have now to advise with our readers on the pharmaceutical 
means of combating disease — means which are commonly 
regarded as the most direct and indispensible for the pur- 
pose of modifying or arresting morbid processes. That the 
swallowing of drugs, however, is not the whole therapeutics 
will have been seen throughout these pages; as, nevertheless, 
their judicious use allays suffering, shortens the course of 
disease, and promotes restoration to health, we have selected 
for notice some which we deem most useful, pointing out their 
most prominent properties, or most common uses. 

The appropriate doses are stated under three periods of 
life — viz.: infancy, childhood, adult age. The doses that are 
herein advised are quite within the limits of heroic treatment, 
and may be given with confidence as not unduly large. Where 
a blank is left, under the head of doses, it is implied that the 
medicine is not suited for young children. The frequency 
with which the dose is to be repeated mus be learnt from the 
instructions given under each disease. 



LIST OP MEDICINES.* 



iSame. 


Property. 


Doses. 


Uses and Mode of Use. 




Infancy. 


Child- 
hood. 


Adult 
Age. 




Acetate of am- 
monia, soluti- 
on of, or Min- 
dererus spirit 

Aloes 

Aloes, decocti- 
on of 


tDiuretic, 

tDiaphore* 

tic 

Purgative 
Ditto 


— 


2drms 

2 to 5 
grains 

l / 2 ounce 


y 2 ounce 

5 to 10 
grains. 

1 ounce 


In febrile complaints, ca- 
tarrh, etc. 

As a purge for worms, 
or for immon costive 1 
ness. 

Ditto. 



* In preparing or dispensing medicines, weights and measures should be used 
whenever practicable. They can be purchased of chemists. A graduated wineglass 
is a safe guide, as it is more definite than the use of spoons in administering medi- 
cines. At the same time it is advisable to procure a small glass measure for minima, 
or drops. It should be observed that the " minim " as measured is equal to two drops 
from the mouths of many bottles. 

t Diuretic, acting on the kidney ; Diaphoretic, promoting respiration- 



MEDICINAL 



421 









Doses. 






Name. 


Property. 








Uses and Mode of Une. 














Child- 


Adult 








Infancy. 


hood. 
3 to 5 


Age. 




Alum 


Tonic and 


1 to 3 


5 to 10 


In hoemorrhage,diarrhcea 




astringent 


grains 


grains 


grains 


whooping-cough. Dis- 
solved in water. 






















As a gargle. Ten grains 












to the ounce of water. 












As a lotion for thf. eyes. 












Two grains to thf) ounce 












of water. 


Ammonia, car- 


Stimulant 


1 grain 


2 grains 


5 grains 


In scarlet fever, dyspep- 
sia, in chroni<; cough. 


bonate of 




















Dissolved in water. 


Ammonia, com- 


Stimulant 


5 drops 


10to20 


20 to 60 


In debility, spasms, hys- 


pound spirit 






drops 


drops 


teria, fainting. Taken 


of 










with cold water. 


Arsenical solu- 


Tonic 


— 




5 drops 


Skin diseases i ,nd neural- 


tion 










gia. To b'j taken in 
water witb or after a 
meal. 


Bark, comp- 


Tonic 


10 to 15 


15 to 20 


20 to 60 


Debility, fevers, ague. 


ound tincture 
of 
Belladonna, ex- 




drops 


drops 


drops 


Taken in .cater. 


Sedative 











As an external applica- 


tract of 










tion. To be smeared 
on the painful part. 


Bicarbonate of 


Antacid 


2 to 5 


5 to 10 


10 to 30 


In dyspepsia. Dissolved 


soda 




grains 


grains 


grains 


in water 
Mixed with citric or tar- 
taric acvd, forms effer- 
vescing draught. 


Bicarbonate of 


Ditto 


2 grains 


5 to 10 


20 grains 


Ditto. 


potash 






grains 
3 to 5 






Bismuth, nitr- 


Tonic and 


lto2 


5to8 


Diarrhoea, dyspepsia. 


ate of 


astringent 


grains 


grains 


grains 




Bitter sweet 


Tonic 


— 


— 


2 ounces 


Skin diseases. Thestalka 


{dulcamara) 










boiled in water, viz. : 1 
ounce to a pint and a 
half boilod to 1 pint. 


Borax, powder- 


— 


— 


— 


— 


Used for thrush; mixed 


ed 










with honey.and applied 
to the tongue, etc. 


Bromide of pot- 


Tonic and 


■ — 


5 grains 


15 to 30 


Epilepsy and other nerv- 


ass 


sedative 






grains 


ous affections. 
The dose requires to be 

gradually increased. 
Taken dissolved in water 


Calomel 


Purgative 
and absorb- 


1 grain 


2 grains 


3 to 5 


Inflammations, biliary 








grains. 


disorders,constiDation. 




ent 








May be given as a powder 
or made up into p'll. 












Camphor spirit 


Stimulant 


_ 


— 


— 


This medicine is usei' for 


or liniment 










external application. 


Cantharides or 


Stimulant 





— 


— 


For external application 


blistering li- 










only. 


quid or plas- 












ter 












Capsicum, tinc- 





_ 


= 





Useful as an addition to 


ture 










gargles, in proportion 
of half a drachm to a 






















six ounce gargle. 
For external application 


Carbolic acid 


Stimulant 








— 




disinfect- 








as lotions ; and in car- 




ant 








bolic acid soap for eki a 

diseases. 


Castor oil 


Purgative 


1 drachm 


2 drachm 


4 drms to 
1 ounce 




Catechu tinc- 


Astringent 


— 


20 min- 


30 to 60 


Diarrhoea — with chalk 


ture 






ims 


miDinis 


mixture. 



422 



MEDICINAL. 



Name. 



Chalk 



Chloral hy- 
drate 



Chlorate of po 

tass 

Chloric ether 



Citric acid 



Citrate of iron 
Cod liver oil 



Colchicum 
wine 

Confection of 
senna (leni- 
tive electu 
ary) 

Creosote 



Dandolion (tar- 
axacum), ex 
tract of 



Dover's 
der 



pow 



Property. 



Astringent 
and ant- 
acid 
Narcotic 



Epsom salts 

Ether 

Friar's balsam 



Gallic and tan- 
ic acids 

Gentian, tinc- 
ture of 



Sedative 



Stimulant, 
antispas- 
modic 



Tonic 

Tonic and 
nutritive 



Purgative 
and diu- 
retic 
Aperient 



Astringent 
Stimulant 
Aperient 



Narcotic, 
sedative, 
diapho- 
retic 

Aperient 



Stimulant 
antispas- 
modic 
Stimulant 

Stypic 

Astringent 

Tonic 



Doses. 



Infancy. 



5 grains 



1 to 3 

grains 



2 grains 
V&dram 



Vi dram 



Child- 
hood. 



5 grains 

2 to 5 

grains 



3to5 

grains 

5 drops 



3 grains 
y 2 dram 



1 drop 

2 grains 

2drms 
10 drops 

3 grains 



Adult 



10 to 30 
grains 

10 to 30 

grains 



5 to 10 
grains 

10 to 30 
drops 

20 grains 



5 grains 

Vt to 1 
drachm 



15 to 30 
drops 



2 to 5 
drops 

1 drachm 



5 to 10 
grains 



2 to 8 
drachms 
or 1 oz 
30 to 40 

drops 

10 to 30 
drops 



5 grains 
1 drachm 



Uses and Mode of Use. 



Made into 
with sugar 



Diarrhoea, 
mixture 
water. 

Whooping-cough, sleep- 
lessness, spasmodic 
disease. This medi- 
cine has more effect in 
producing sleep than 
m relieving p ain . Dis- 
solve in water. This 
medicine should be 
given with great cau- 
tion. 

In ulceration of the 
mouth. Dissolved in 
water. 

In painful and spasmod- 
ic diseases. Taken with 
water. 

To form effervescing 
draughts with 20 grains 
of bicarbonate of soda 
or potash, each dissol- 
ved in a separate wine 
glass of water. 

Debility. Dissolved in 
water. 

In debility and wasting 
diseases. 

Taken in orange wine or 
some other simple fluid 
directly after meals. 

Rheumatism and gout. 



In piles or constipation. 
A teaspoonfttl for ■ 
dose. 

Vomiting or diarrhoea. 
In water. 

As a stimulant lotion 
mixed with water. 

In bilious disorders. 
Mixed with water, or 
the roots boiled in 
water. 

In catarrh, diarrhoea, 
rheumatism. 

As this medicine con- 
tains opium, it should 
not be given to infants. 

In cold water. 



In hysteria, spasms, 
fainting. Taken in 
water. 

For chronic coughs. Ta- 
ken in gum water. 

Useful for cuts, applied 
on lint or rag. 

In haemorrhages. Mafia 
into pills, or mixed 
with gum water. 

Debility and dyspepsia. 
In water. 



MEDICINAL 



423 



Name. 



Goulard's ex 
tract and lo- 
tion, (extract 
of lead) 

Grey powder 
(mercury and 
chalk] 

Guaiacnm,tinc- 
ture of 

Hemlock ex- 
tract of 

Henbane, ex- 
tract of 

Iodide of po- 
tass 

Iodine, tinc- 
ture of 



Iodide of iron, 

syrup of 
Ipecacuanha 

wine 



Ipecacuanha 
powder 

Iron, muriated 
tincture of 

Iron or steel 

wine 
■Jalap powder 

James's pow- 
der 

Laudanum 
(tincture of 
opium) 

Lead, acetate 



Magnesia, car- 
bonate of 

Manna 

Matico 



Mercurial pill 
("blue pill") 

Mercury and 
chalk [see 

Srey powder] 

Morphia, mu- 
riate or ace 
late 



Property. 



Aperient 



Stimulant 
and tonic 
Sedative 



Sedative 

Absorbent 
and tonic 

Absorbent 

and 
stimulant 



Tonic 
Emetic 



Expecto- 
rant 
Emetic 



Tonic 

Tonic 

Purgative 

Diaphore- 
tic 
Narcotic 

Astringent 



Aperient 

and 

antacid 

Aperient 

Astringent 
and styptic 



Aperieni 



Narcotic 



Doses. 



Infancy. 



1 grain 



1 grain 



1 drachm 

2 drops 

2 drops 
y 2 dram 

1 grain 



2 to 5 

grains 

% dram 



Child- 
hood. 



2 grains 



2 grains 



2 grains 



54 dram 
1 drachm 



3 to 5 

drops 



5 drops 

1 drachm 
5 grains 
2 grains 

1 grain 

5 grains 

1 drachm 



Adult 
Age. 



5 grains 



1 drachm 
5 grains 



3 to 5 

grains 
5 to 10 
grains 



1 drachm 
1 drachm 



5 to 15 

drops 

20 to 30 

grains 

to 30 
drops 



10 to 30 

fains 
to 5 
grains 
10 to 40 
drops 

2 grains 
J£ dram 



3 to 5 
grains 



grain 



Uses and Mode of Use. 



One dracbm added to a 
pint of rain water, or 
distilled water, form- 
ing a good cooling lo- 
tion. 

Id sugar or treacle. 



In chronic rheumatism. 
Taken in milk,or water. 

In spasmodic and neu- 
ralgiac or other painful 
complaints; as pills. 

As a pill. 

In chronic rheumatism 
and glandular disease. 
Dissolved in water. 

For external application 
in glandular or other 
chronic enlargments. 
Apply with a feather or 
brush. 

In strumous disorders 
or debility. 

When given as emetic, 
the dose should be re- 
peated every five or 
ten minutes until the 
vomiting begins. 

For coughs and colds. 

In warm water, followed 
by copious draughts of 
water to promote vomit 

In water, to which siigar 
is added in the case of 
children. 



In catarrh and simple 

fever. 
For pains, spasms, or 

cramps ; in water. 

In haemorrhages. As a 
pill, made up with 
moist bread crumbs. 

Dyspepsia and costive- 
ness. 

Mixed with food of an 

infant 
Applied on lint or wool, 

if in form of tincture, 

or the dry leaf applied 

on a cut. 



Only for severe pain. Not 
to be given to infanta 
or young children. 



424 



MEDICINAL. 



Name. 



Muriatic acid 
(diluted, 1 
part to 10 of 
water.) 



Nitre powder 



Nitre (sweet 
spirit of nit- 
rous ether) 

Nitric acid (di- 
luted with 10 
parts of 

water) 

Opodeldoc 
(soap lini- 
ment) 

Opium 

Oxide of zinc 



Oxymel of 
squills. 

Paregoric 



solu- 



Potash, 
tion of 

Quinine 



Rhubarb pow- 
der 
Ditto, tincture 

Salvolatile, 
spirits of (see 
Ammonia) 

Santonin 



Senna,infusion 
of 



Sulphuric acid 
(diluted with 
10 parts of 
water) 



Tartar emetic 



Turpentine, 
spirits cf 



Property. 



Tonic 

Astringent 

Diuretic 

Stimulant 

Diuretic 

Tonic 



Narcotic 

Tonic and 
stimulant 

Diuretic, 
expecto- 
rant 
Sedative 
diapho- 
retic 
Absorbent 
and ant- 
acid 
Tonic 

Aperient 



Purgative 
for worms 



Aperient 



Tonic 



Astringent 



Diaphore- 

tie,depress- 

ing 

Purgative 
stimulant 



Doses. 



Infancy. 



1 grain 



5 drops 

V 2 grain 
1 grain 



3 grains 



2 dims 



Child- 
; hood. 



15 drops 



2 grains 



10 to 20 
drops 

5 drops 



54 dram 



10 drops 
10 drops 



1 grain 

2 to 5 
grains 

2 drms 



3 to 5 
grains 



Y 2 ounce 



5 drops 



5 drops 



Adult 
Age. 



20 drops 



5 to 10 

grains 

1 drachm 

30 to 60 
drops 

15 drops 



V» to 1 gr 



1 drachm 



20 to 60 
drops 

10 to 20- 
drops 

2to5 

grains 

5 to 20 

grains 

2 drs to 

1 oz. 



1 ounce 



15 drops 



15 drops 



KatoM 
grain 



1 to 2 
drachms 



Uses and Mode of Us*. 



In debility, indigestion, 
diarrhoea. In two or 
three tablespoonf uls of 
water. 

As a gargle for sore 
throat. One part to 
twenty of water. 

In febrile disorders and 
dropsies. 

As a gargle, dissolved ia 
six ounces of water. 

Catarrh and febrile com- 
plaints. 

Debility, sore throat, etc. 
Same as muriatic acid. 



For external application. 



In painful disorders ; for 

sickness and diarrhoea. 
Most commonly used in 

ointment, or dusted on 

the surface. 
For coughs. Mixed with 

paregoric or ipecacu- 
anha wine. 
Catarrhs and coughs 

alone, or as above in 

water. 
Dyspepsia and chronie 

glandular enlargements 

Taken in water. 
Debility, ague— in water, 

or made into pills. 



Three doses should be 
given on alternate 
mornings, in milk or 
water. 

Infusion made by pour- 
ing hot water on the 
leaves, and let stand 
until cold. 

In debility and dyspep- 
sia. 



Haemorrhage, diarrhoea, 
cholera, night sweats. 
Taken with a wineglass 
of water. 

In febrile and inflamma- 
tory disorders. Dissol- 
ved in water. Used also 
in form of ointment. 

For tape-worm. Taken 
fasting in the morning 
in milk or water. 






MEDICINAL 



425 



Name. 


Property. 


Doses. 


Uses and Mode of Use. 


Infancy. 


Child- 
hood. 


Adult 
Age. 




Zinc, sulphate 
of 


Astringent 

Stimulant 

Tonic, as- 
tringent 
Emetic 


— 


M grain 


5 to 20 
drops 

M to H 

grain 

20 grains 


Haemorrhage. Taken in 
water. 

For external use as lini- 
ment or stupes. 

In chorea and other ner- 
vous affections. 

In cases of poisoning. 
Dissolved in water. 



ARTICLES SUITABLE FOR A MEDICINE CHEST 



Acetate of ammonia, or 

Mindererus spirit. 
Acetate of lead. 
Adhesive plaster. 
Aloes. 
Alum. 

Bark,compound tincture of 
B asilicon ointment. 
Bicarbonate of soda. 
Blistering plaster.or liquid. 
Borax. 
Calomel. 

Carbonate of ammonia. 
Carded wool. 

Carded oakum. "Stypium." 
Castor oil. 
Catechu, tincture of 
Chalk, prepared. 
Cod liver oil. 

Compound colocynth pills. 
Compound rhubarb pills. 



Creasote. 

Diluted sulphuric acid. 

Dover's powder. 

Epsom salts. 

Ether. 

Forceps of different sizes. 

Glass measures. 

Grey powder, or mercury 

with chalk. 
Iodide of potassium. 
Iodine, tincture of. 
Ipecacuanha powder. 
Ipecacuanha wine. 
Iron, muriated tincture of 
Jalap. 

James's powder. 
Laudanum. 
Linseed meal. 
Lint. 

Lunar caustic. 
Magnesia. 



Mortars and pestles. 
Nitre, powdered. 
Nitre 5 spirits of. 
Oil silk, or gutta percha 

tissue. 
Opodeldoc. 
Oxide of zinc. 
Paregoric. 

Peppermint, essence of. 
Quinine. 
Rubarb powder. 
Scales and weights. 
Scissors. 
Senna leaves. 
Spatulas. 
Tartaric acid. 
Tincture of benzoin, 

Friar's balsam. 
Turpentine, spirits of. 
Zinc, sulphate of. 
Zinc, oxide of. 




426 



MISCELLANEOUS HELPS. 
COOK'S TIME-TABLE. 



Time oi 
Dig'st'n 



Apples, sour, hard 

Apples, sweet and mellow . . . 

Asparagus 

Beans (pod) . . .» 

Beans with green corn 

Beef ." 

Beef steek 

Beef steek 

Beef, salted 

Bass, fresh 

Beets, young 

Beets, old 

Bread, corn 

Bread, wheat 

Butter 

Cabbage 

Cabbage and vinegar 

Cabbage 

Cauliflower 

Cake, sponge 

Carrot, orange 

Cheese, old 

Chicken , 

Codfish, dry and whole 

Custard, (one quart) 

Duck, tame 

Duck, wild 

Dumplin, apple 

Eggs, hard 

Eggs, soft 



Eggs./. 

Fowls, domestic, roasted or . . . . 

Gelatine 

Goose, wild 

Lamb 

Meat and vegetables 

Milk 

Milk 

Mutton 

Mutton 

Onions 

Oysters 

Oysters 

Parsnips 

Fig's feet 

Pork ;.. 

Pork 

Pork, raw or 

Pork 

Potatoes 

Pototatoes 

Potatoes .' 

Rice 

Salmon, fresh 

Sausage 

Sausage 

Soup, vegetable 

Soup, chicken 

Soup, oyster or mutton 

Spinach 

Tapioca , 

Tomatoes 

Tomatoes 

Trout, salmon, fresh, boiled or. 

Turkey, boiled or 

Turnips 

Veal 

Venison Steak .' 



Mode of 
Preparation 



Time of 
Cooking 



Raw 

Raw 

Boiled 

Boiled 

Boiled 

Roasted 

Broiled 

Fried 

Boiled 

Broiled 

Boiled 

Boiled 

Baked 

Baked 

Melted 

Raw 

Raw 

Boiled 

Boiled 

Baked 

Boiled 

Raw 

Fricasseed 

Boiled 

Baked 

Roasted 

Roasted 

Boiled 

Boiled 

Boiled 

Fried 

Raw 

Boiled 

Boiled 

Roasted 

Boiled 

Hashed 

Raw 

Boiled 

Roast 

Broiled 

Boiled 

Roasted 

Stewed 

Boiled 

Soused 

Roast 

Boiled 

Fried 

Broiled 

Boiled 

Baked 

Roasted 

Boiled 

Boiled 

Fried 

Broiled 

Boiled 

Boiled 

Boiled 

Boiled 

Boiled 

Fresh 

Canned 

Fried 

Roasted 

Boiled 

Broiled 

Broiled 



H. M. 



15 to 30 

1 00 
45 

* 25 
15 
15 

* 35 
20 

2 00 
4 30 

45 
1 00 



1 00 

1-2 00 

45 

1 00 



1 00 


* 20 

* 20 
30 


* 25 

20 

1-2 00 


5 
1 00 


* 30 

* 25 



20 
30 
45 
45 
20 
8 
25 
20 

1 00 

2 00 
+3 30 



1-2 

1 
1 



M. 
50 
50 
30 
30 
45 
00 
00 
00 
15 
00 
45 
00 
15 
30 
30 
30 
15 
30 
45 
00 
45 
00 
45 
00 
45 
00 
50 
00 
30 
00 
30 
00 
00 
30 
30 
30 
30 
15 
00 
3 15 



00 

00 

15 

30 

00 

00 

5 15 

4 30 

4 15 

3 15 

3 30 

3 30 

2 30 
1 00 
1 45 

4 00 

3 30 

4 00 
3 00 

30 
30 
00 
30 



39 
30 
30 
30 
00 
1 35 



* Minutes to the pound. + Mutton soup. 

The time given is the general average; the time will vary slightly with the qual- 
ity of the article. 



MISCELLANEOUS HELPS. 427 

MEASURES AND WEIGHTS 

IN ORDINARY USE AMONG HOUSEKEEPERS. 

4 Teaspoonfuls equal 1- tablespoonful liquid. 
4 Tablespoonfuls equal 1 wineglass, or half a gill. 
2 Wineglasses equal 1 gill, or half a cup. 
2 Gills equal 1 coffee-cupful, or 16 tablespoonfuls. 
2 Coffe-cupfuls equal 1 pint. 
2 Pints equal 1 quart. 
4 Quarts equal 1 gallon. 
2 Tablespoonfuls equal 1 ounce, liquid. 
1 Tablespoonful of salt equals 1 ounce. 
16 Ounces equal 1 pound, or a pint of liquid. 
4 Coffee-cupfuls of sifted flour equal 1 pound. 
1 Quart of unsifted flour equals 1 pound. 
8 or 10 ordinary sized eggs equal 1 pound. 

1 Pint of sugar equals 1 pound. (White granulated.) 

2 Coffee-cupfuls of powdered sugar equal 1 pound. 

1 Coffee-cupful of cold butter, pressed down, is one 

half pound. 
1 Tablespoonful of soft butter, well rounded, equals 

1 ounce. 
An ordinary tumblerful equals 1 coffee-cupful, or half 

a pint. 
About 25 drops of any thin liquid will fill a common- 
sized teaspoon. 
1 Pint of finely chopped meat, packed solidly, equals 

one pound. 
A set of tin measures (with small spouts or lips), 
from a gallon down to half a gill, will be found very 
convenient in every kitchen, though common pitchers, 
bowls, glasses etc. , may be substituted. 



WEIGHTS OP ARTICLES. 



Apples, dried, bushel 25 pounds. 

Beef, firkin, 100 

Pork, barrel, 200 

Beans, bushel, 60 

Butter, firkin, 66 

tub, 85 

Peaches, dried, bushel, 33 

Fish, barrel, 200 

" quintal. 112 



Flour, barrel, net, 196 pounds. 
Honey, gallon, 12 " 

Molasses, hhd., 139 to 156 gallons. 
Salt, barrel, 3J^ bushels. 

" bushel, 79 pounds. 
Sugar, barrel, 200 to 250 pounds. 
Soap, barrel, 256 " 

" box, 75 " 

Tea, chest, 60 to 84 " 



428 



MISCELLANEOUS HELPS. 



ARTICLES REQUIRED FOR THE KITCHEN. 

The following list will show what articles are neces- 
sary for the kitchen, and will be quite an aid to young 
housekeepers when about commencing to furnish the 
utensils needed in the kitchen department, and may 
prove useful to many. 

2 Sweeping brooms an 1 dust-pan, 
1 Whisk broom. 
1 Bread box. 

3 Cake boxes. 
1 Large flour box. 
1 Dredging box. 
1 Large-sized tin pepper box. 
1 Spice box containing smaller 

spice boxes. 
Cake pans, two sizes. 
Bread pans. 
Square biscuit pans. 
Dozen pattypans, and the same 

number of tartlet pans 



1 Large tin pail and 1 wooden 

pail. 

2 Small tin pails. 
Set of tin basins. 
Set of tin measures. 
Wooden butter ladle. 
Tin skimmer. 
Tin steamer. 
Dippers, two sizes. 



1 Apple corer. 

1 Lemon squeezer. 

1 Meat cleaver. 

3 Kitchen knives and forks. 
1 Large kitchen fork and 4 kitchen 

spoons, two sizes. 
1 Wooden spoon for cake making. 
1 Large bread knife. 
. v ,jr-C k i ddl o cake tum or, also 1 grid- 

1 Potato masher. 
1 Meat board. 

1 Meat saw. 

2 Large earthen bowls. 

4 Stone jars. 
1 Coffee mill. 
1 Candlestick. 



or spiders, two 



2 Funnels, two sizes. 

1 Set of jelly cake tins. 
4 Pie pans. 

3 Pudding molds, one for boiling, 

two for baking, two sizes. 

2 Dish pans, two sizes. 

2 Cake or biscuit cutters, two 

sizes. 
2 Graters, one large and one small. 
1 Coffee canister. 
1 Tea canister. 
1 Tin or granite-ware teapot. 
1 Tin or granite-ware coffee-pot. 
1 Griddle cake .turner. 

4 Milk pans, 1 milk strainer'. 

1 Dozen iron gem pans or muf- 
fin rings. 

1 Coarse gravy strainer, 1 fine 
strainer. 

1 Colander. 

1 Flour sifter. 

2 Scoops, one for flour, one for 

sugar. 
2 Jelly molds, two sizes. 
1 Can opener, 1 egg beater. 
1 Cork screw. 
1 Chopping knife. 



2 Market baskets, two sizes. 

1 Clock. 

1 Ash bukcet. 

1 Gridiron. 

2 Frying pans 

sizes. 

4 Flat-irons, two number 8 and two 
number 6. 

2 Dripping pans, two sizes. 

3 Iron kettles, porcelain lined if 

possible. 
1 Corn beef or fish kettle. 

1 Teakettle. 

2 Granite-ware stew puns, two sizes 
1 Wire toaster. 

1 Double kettle for cooking cus- 

tards, grains, etc. 

2 Sugar boxes, one for coarse and 

one for fine sugar. 
1 Waffle iron. 
1 Step ladder. 
1 Stove, 1 coal shovel. 

1 Pair of scales. 

2 Coal hods or buckets. 

1 Kitchen table, 2 kitchen chairs. 

1 Large clothes basket. 

1 Wash boiler, 1 wash board. 

8 Dozen clothes pins. 

1 Large nail hammer and one 

small tack hammer. 
1 Bean pot. 

1 Clothes wringer. 

2 Wooden chopping bowls, twosizes 



MISCELLANEOUS HELPS. 



429 



MATERIAL REQUIRED FOR VARIOUS GARMENTS 
AND ARTICLES. 

TABLE OF AVERAGE AMOUNTS REQUIRED FOR VARIOUS ARTICLES 
AND GARMENTS OF MATERIAL THE WIDTHS SPECIFIED. 



Apron 

Blanket 

Bloomers 

Bolster case 

Butcher's Apron 

Chemise, misses' 

Chemise, ladies' 

Coat 

Coat and vest 

Comfort 

Corset cover 

Curtain, holland 

Curtain, lace 

Drawers, ladies' 

Drawers misses' 

Drawers, men's 

Dress Skirt 

Jumper 

Kilt skirt, boy's 

Leggings 

New Market 

Nightgown 

Nightshirt, men's 

Nightshirt, boy's 

Overalls, men's 

Overcoat, men's 

Pantaloons .... 

Piano Cover, Upright 

Piano Cover, Square 

Pillow case 

Quilt 

Rag carpet, i lb. warp for. . . 
Rag carpet, \y 2 lbs. rags for 

Roller towel 

Sheet 

Shirt, men's 

Shirt, boy's 

Skirt lining 

Smoking jacket 

Sofa cover. 

Tablecloth 

Vest, men's 

Waist lining 



Yards. 


Width, 
Inches. 


2 l / 2 


27 


2^ 


72 


2^ 


44 


2 


36 


iH 


40 


1% 


36 


*K 


36 


2y 2 


3i 


2% 


54 


is 


24 


iK 


3* 


2% 


3i 


3 


3i 


2% 


36 


l}i 


3* 


1 X A 


3^ 


6y 2 


36 


3 


27 


i% 


27 


H 


44 


zY* 


54 


ey 2 


36 


5 


36 


zVa 


36 


3 


27 


2% 


54 


2y 2 


30 


2y 2 


27 or 30 


3 


72 


I toi^ 


42 or 46 


2y 2 


72 


2% 


36 


I 


36 


3 


18 


2% 


72 


3% 


27 


2)4 


27 


5 


24 


3 


27 


5 


27 


2t0 2>£ 


64 


I 


27 


\Y2 


36 



430 MISCELLANEOUS HELPS. 

PARLIAMENTARY LAW AT SIGHT. 

Motions arranged in their order of precedence as they relate to each other. 



BULES. 

Modifying oe Amending. To amend, substitute, or to divide the question K 

To Eefek to Committee. To commit (or recommit) D 

Defebbing Action. To postpone to a fixed time C 

To lay on the table A E G 

SUPPEESSING OE EXTENDING DEBATE. 

For the previous question.... A E M 

To limit, or close debate A M 

To extend limits of debate A 

SUPPEESSING THE QUESTION. 

Objection to consideration A H M N 

To postpone indefinitely D E 

Tolayuponthe table A E G 

Raising a Question the Second Time. 

To reconsider debatable question D E F I 

To reconsider undebatable question A E F I 

Oedees, Rules, etc. 

For the orders of the day A E H N 

To make subject a special order M 

To amend the rules M 

To suspend the rules A E F M 

To take up a question out of its proper order A E 

To take from the table A E G 

Touching priority of business. ..- A 

Questions op Peivilege. 

Asking leave to continue speaking after indecorum A 

Appeal from chair's decision touching indecorum A E H L 

Appeal from chair's decision generally E H L 

Questions upon reading of papers . A E 

Adjournment. 

To adjourn or to take a recess without limitation A E F 

To fix the time to which to adjourn , B 

ETJLES REFERRED TO ABOVE., 

Rule A. Undebatable, but remarks may be tacitly aUowed. 

Rule B. Undebatably if another question is before the assembly. 

Rule C. Limited debate allowed on propriety of postponement only. 

Rule D. Opens the main question to debate. Motions not so marked do not 
allow of reference to main question. 

Rule E. Cannot be amended. Motion to adjourn can be amended when there 
is no other business before the house. 

Rule F. Cannot be reconsidered. 

Rule G. An affirmative vote cannot be reconsidered. 

Rule H. In order when another has the floor. 

Rule I . A motion to reconsider may be moved and entered when another has 
the floor, but the business then before the house may not be set aside. This 
motion can only be entertained when made by one who voted originally with the 
prevailing side. When called up it takes precedence of all others which may come 
up, excepting only motions relating to adjournment. 

Rule K. A motion to amend an amendment cannot be amended. 

Rule L. When an appeal from the chair's decision results in a tie vote, the 
chair is sustained. 

Rule M. Requires a two-thirds vote unless special rules have been enacted. 

Rule N. Does not require to be seconded. 

GENERAL RULES. 

No motion is open for discussion until it has been stated by the chair. 

The maker of a motion cannot modify it or withdraw it after it has been 
stated by the chair, except by general consent. 

Only one reconsideration of a question is permitted. 

A motion to adjourn, to lay on the table, or to take from the table, cannot be' 
renewed unless some other motion has intervened. 

On motion to strike out the words, "Shall the words stand part of the motion?" 
Unless a majority sustains, the words are struck out. 

On motion for previous question, the form to be observed is, "Shall the main 
question be now put?" This if carried, ends debate. 

On an appeal from the chair, "Shall the decision be sustained as the ruling of 
the house? The chair is generally sustained. 

On motion for orders of the day, "Will the house now proceed to the order sof 
the day?" This, if carried, supersedes intervening motions. 

On objection raised to considering questions, "Shall the question beconsid- 
ered?" Objections maybe made before debate has commenced but not subse- 
quently. 



MISCELLANEOUS HELPS. 



431 



WORDS OFTEN MISPRONOUNCED. 



Again, pronounced a-gen. 

Alien, ale-yen. 

Antipodes, an-tip-o-dees. 

Apostle, as a-poa'l, -without the L 

Arch, artoh in compounds of our own 
language, as in archbishop ; but ark 
in words derived from the Greek ; as 
archangel, ark-ain-gel; archives, ar- 
kivz, etc. 

Asia, o-shia 

Asparagus as spelled, not asparagrass. 

Aunt, ant, not awnt. 

Awkward, awk-wurd, not awk-wrd. 

Bade, bad. 

Because, be-cawt, not be-coz. 

Been, bin. 

Beloved, as a verb be-luvd; as an adjec- 
tive, be-luv-ed. Blessed, cursed, etc., 
the same rule. 

Beneath, with the th in breath. 

Biography, as spelled, not beography. 

Caprice, capreece. 

Catch, as spelled, not ketch. 

Chaos, fco-oss. 

Charlatan, sftar-latan. 

Chasm, kazm. 

Chivalry, «7m>-alry. 

Chemistry, kem'-i8-try. 

Choir, kwire. 

Conduit, fcwi-dit. 

Corps, kor; the plural, korz. 

Covetous, cwv-e-tus. 

Courteous, curt-yus. 

Courtesy, (politeness) cwr-te-sy. 

Courtesy (a salutation) cwrt-sey. 

Cresses, as spelled, not cree-ses. 

Curiosity, cu-re-os-e-ty. 

Cushion, eoosft-un, not coosh-ln. 

Daunt, davmt, not dant nor darnt. 

Desire, with the sound of s. 

Dew, due, not doo. 

Diamond, as spelled, not di-mond. 

Diploma, de^pioma, not dip-lo-ma. 

Diplomacy, de-pto-ma-cy. 

Duke, as spelled, not dook. 

Edict, e-dickt, not ed-ickt, 

E'en and e'er, een and air. 

Egotism, e-go-tism, not egr-o-tism. 

Engine, en-jin, not ira-jin. 

Epistle, without the t. 

Epitome, e-pii-o-me. 

Epoch, ep-ockj not e-pock. 

Equinox, e-qui-nox, not eg-kwe-nox. 

Europe, 17-rup, not 17-rope. 

European, Euro-pe-an, not Eu-ro-pean. 

Every, e«-ery, not ev-vy. 

Executor, egz-ec-utor. 

Extraordinary, ex-tror-di-ner-i. 

February,as spelled, not Febuary. 

Finance, /e-nance, notfi-rx&nce. 

Foundling, as spelled, not/ond-ling. 

Garden, gar-din, not gar-den nor gard- 
ing. 

Gauntlet, gawnt-let, not jranMet 

Geography, as spelled, not jog-raphy. 

Geometry, as spelled, not jom-etry. 

Haunt, hawnt, not hant. 



Height, hite not highth. 

Heinous, hay-mis, not hee-mis. 

Horizon, ho-ri-zn, not ftor-i-son. 

Hymeneal, hy-men-e-al, not hy-menal. 

Instead, in-s<ed, not instid. 

Isolate, t-so-late, not tz-olate nor is- 
olate. 

Jalap, jal-ap, not jolup. 

January, as spelled, not Jenuary nor 
Janewary. 

Leave, as spelled, not leaf. 

Legend lej-end, or te-gend. 

Many, men-ney, not man-ny. 

Marchioness, war-shun-ess . 

Massacre, wass-sa-ker. 

Medicine, med-e-cin . 

Minute (sixty seconds) min-it. 

Minute, (small)' mi-nute. 

Mischievous, mis-chiv-us. 

Ne'er, for never, nare. 

New, nu, not noo. 

Oblige, as spelled, not obleege. 

Oblique, ob-teefc, or o-blike. 

Off as spelled, not awf. 

Organization, or-gan-i-sa-shun. 

Ostrich, os-trich, not os-tridge. 

Pageant, paj-ent, not po-jant. 

Physiognomy, as fiz-i-og-nomy, not phy 
sionnomy. 

Pincers, pira-cerz, not pinch-ers. 

Plaintiff, as spelled, not plantiff. 

Precedent (an example), pres-e-dent. 

Prologue, pro-log, not prol-og. 

Radish, as spelled, not red-ish. 

Rather, rather, not ray-ther. 

Resort, re-zort. 

Resound, re-zound. 

Respite, res-pit, not as spelled. 

Rout, (a party ; and to rout) pronounced 
rowt. 

Route, (a road) root or rowt. 
Saunter, «a«m-ter, not sarn-ter or san 
ter. 

Sausage, satw-sage, not sos-sidge, sos- 

sidge. 
Schedule, sfced-ule, not shedule 
Seamstress, seew-stress. 
Soldier, soie-jer. 

Solecism, so^-cizm, not 80-le-cizm . 
Soot, as spelled, not sut. 
Stomacher, stwm-a-cher. 
Stone, as spelled, not stun. 
Synod, sin-od, not sy-nod. 
Tenure, *en-ure, not te-nure. 
Tenet, ten-et, not te-net. 
Twelfth should have the th sounded. 
Umbrella, as spelled, not um-ber-el-la 
Vase, vaiz or vahz, not vawze. 
Was, woz, not wuz. 
Weary, weer-i, not wary. 
Were, wer, not ware. 
Wrath, rawth, not rath. 
Yatch, yot, not yat. 
Zenith aen-ite, not ae-nith. 
Zodiac, so-de-ak. 
N oology should have both </s sounded 

as ao-oJ-o-gy, not zoo-logy. 



432 



MISCELLANEOUS HELPS. 



Words Often mispronounced.— Continued. 



Pronounce— 

-ace, not iss, as menace, not memss. 

-age, not idge, as bondage. 

-ain, ane, not in, as curtain not curtfin. 

-ate, not it, as moderate, not moderii. 

-ect, not ec, as object, not objec. 

-ed, not id, or ud, as wicked, not 
wickid, or wicknd. 

-el, not 1, model, not modi ; novel, not 
novl. 

-en, not n, as sudden, not suddn— Bur- 
den, burthen, garden, lengthen, seven, 
strengthen, often, and a few others 
have the e silent. 



— ence, not unce, as licence not lictmoe. 

— es, not is, as pleases, not pleasis. 

— ile, should be pronounced il, tensil, 
not tensile, in all words except chamo- 
mile, exile, gentile, infantile, recon- 
cile, and senile, which are pronounced 
ile. 

—in, not n, as satin, but satn. 

— nd, not n, as thousand not thousan. 

— ness, not niss, as harness, not harniss. 

— ng, not n, as singing, not singin. 

— ngth, not nth, as length, not lenth. 

—son, the o should be silent, as seazsn, 
not season. 

— xt, not x, as tea;*, not tea;. 



RULES FOR SPELLING. 

Words ending in e drop that letter before the termination able, as in move, 
movable, unless ending in ce or ge, when it is retained, as in change, changeable, 
etc. 

Words of one syllable ending in a consonant, with a single vowel before it, 
double that consonant in derivatives, as ship, shipping, etc. But if ending in a 
consonant with a double vowel before it, they do not double the consonant in 
derivatives ; as troop, trooper, etc. 

Words of more than one syllable, ending in a consonant preceded by a single 
vowel, and accented on the last syllable, double that consonant in derivatives ; as 
commit, committed ; but except chagrin, chagrined. 

All words of one syllable, ending in I, with a single vowel before it, have 11 at 
the close, as mill, sell, etc. 

All words of one syllable ending in I, with a double vowel before it, have only 
one I at the close, as mail, sail. 

The words fortell, distill, instill and fulfill, retain the double I of their primi- 
tives. Derivatives of dull, skill, will, and full, also retain the double I, when the 
accent falls on these words ; as dullness, skillful, willful, fullness. 

Words of more than one syllable ending in I have only one I at the close ; as 
delightful, faithful, unless the accent falls on the last syllable; as befall, etc. 

Words ending in I, double that letter in the termination ly. 

Participles ending in ing, from verbs ending in e, lose the final e ; as have, having 
make making, etc. ; but verbs ending in ee retain both, see, seeing. Dye, to color, 
and singe, to scorch, however, must retain the e before ing. 

All adverbs ending in ly, and nouns ending in ment, retain the e final of the 
primitives ; as brave, bravely ; refine, refinement ; except words ending in dge ; as 
judge, judgment. 

Nouns ending in y, preceded by a vowel, form their plural by adding s, as 
money, moneys, but if y is preceded by a consonant, it is changed to ies in the 
plural ; as bounty, bounties 

Words whose primitives end in y, change the y into i ; as beauty, beautiful. 

MRKKS IN PUNCTUATION. 

The Comma (,) denotes a slight pause, and divides a sentence into its com- 
ponent parts. The Semicolon ( ;) denotes a longer pause, and also divides com- 
pound sentences. The Colon ( :) is placed between the chief divisions of a sen- 
tence, when these are but slightly connected. The Period (.) denotes the end of a 
sentence. The Dash ( — ) denotes a sudden change of subject. The Interrogation 
point (?) is used after a question. The Exclamation point ( 1 ) denotes wonder or 
astonishment. The Parenthesis () includes something not essential to the sense. 
Quotation marks (" ") indicate a verbatim quotation. The Hyphen (-) con- 
nects the syllables, or parts of a word. The Caret (A) denotes that something has 
been omitted. Brackets [ ] are chiefly used to denote corrections. Ellipsis (* * *) 
( ) denotes the omission of letters or words. The Index, (HBP*) points to some- 
thing of special significance. 

RULES FOR PUNCTUATION . 

A period is placed after every declarative and imperative sentence. After all 
abbreviations. After numbers in the Roman notation. 

A colon is placed between the chief divisions of a sentence, when they are but 
slightly connected, and they are themselves divided by some other mark. After 
a sentence which announces a distinct quotation^ Between clauses when the 
connection is so slight that any of them might be a distinct sentence. 

A semicolon should separate a succession of clauses depending on one princi- 
pal expression, after an expression which introduces particulars. When a 
clause especially explains the meaning of some other expression, it is_ separated 
from that expression by a semicolon. To divide a sentence into sections, when 
the various parts ara not sufficiently independent to require a colon. 



MISCELLANEOUS HELPS. 433 



A comma is placed between the particulars mentioned in a succession of words 
all in the same construction. Between each pair of words, when each pair is in 
the same construction. Before and one after every parenthetical expression. Be- 
fore a quotation closely connected with the preceding words. Expressions re- 
peated must be separated by a comma . A phrase or clause which explains, in 
any degree, the meaning of any other phrase or clause, is separated from it by a 
comma. All modifying expressions, unless closely connected with the rest of the 
sentence, are separated by a comma. A comma must be used in sentences which 
would otherwise be misunderstood. Where a word is understood, unless the con- 
nection is close. 

An interrogation point is placed after every sentence, phrase, clause, or word, 
which denotes a direct question. An interrogration point enclosed in parenthesis, 
is often used to denote doubt. 

An exclamation point is placed after every exclamatory sentence,clause, phrase, 
or word. Where special emphasis is required, several exclamation points may be 
used. An exclamation point enclosed in parenthesese. is used to denote particular 
surprise. Most interjections take an exclamation point after them. 

A sudden turn in a sentence is shown by a dash. A.n omission of the middle 
numbers in a regular series is denoted by a dash. The omission of a word or part 
of a word, is denoted by a dash. It is usually placed before the answer to a 
question, when they both belong to the same line. It is often used insted of the 
parenthesis marks. It is commonly used before an expression repeated for spec- 
ial emphasis. It follows a sentence which introduces a quotation, when the 
quotation commences a new paragraph. It is often used to avoid too many para- 
graphs. 

Every quoted passage is enclosed in quotation marks. Quotations consist- 
ing of more than one paragraph have the first quotation marks at the beginning of 
each paragraph, but the second is used only at the end of the last paragraph. 
When a quoted passage requires special attention, the first quotation mark may be 
used at the commencement of each line. When one quotation includes another, 
the latter has but half the first quotation mark before it, and half the second 
mark after it. 

MARKS OF ACCENT. 

Accent is stress of voice laid on a certain syllable . When a word is uttered, 
the syllable that receives the stress is said to be accented. These marks are used 
by writers to denote the proper pronounciation of words. The Acute (&) is rep- 
resented by a mark over a letter, or syllable, to show that it must be pronounced 
with a rising inflexion ; as, European, The Grave (hi) must be pronounced with a 
falling inflexion: "Will you walk or ride?" The Circumflex (a) represents the 
union of the acute and grave accents in the same syllable ; as Montreal. The 
Diaeresis (a) is placed over the latter of two vowels, to show that they are to be 
prouounced in separate syllables, as cooperate. The Cedilla (c) or cerilla, placed 
under the letter c, shows that it has the sound of s ; it is used chiefly in words 
derived from the French language ; thus, gargon.in which the e, is to be pronounced 
like s. The Tilde (-v) is placed over the letter n in Spanish to give it the sound 
of yn. as, seSior, mifion. 

OTHER MARKS. 

The Index (K1P°) invites special attention. 

The Stars (*#*) or N. B., are used for a similar purpose. 

The Brace f r ) connects several words with one common term. 

The Paragragh fl[) begins a new subject. 
The Section (§) is used to sub-divide chapters. 

THE USE OF CAPITALS. 

1. Every entire sentence should begin with a capital. 2. Proper names and 
adjectives derived from these, should begin with a capital. 3. All appellations 
of the Deity should begin with a capital. 4. Official and Honorary Titles 
begin with a capital. 6. Every line of poetry should begin with a capital. 6. 
Titles of books and the heads of their chapters and divisions begin with a capital. 
7. The pronoun, I, and the exclamation, O, are always capitals. 8. The days of 
week and the months of the year are always capitals. 9. Every quotation should 
begin with a capital letter. 10. Names of religious denominations begin with 
capitals. 11. In preparing accounts, each item should begin with a capital. 12. 
Any word of very special importance may begin with a capital. 



434 

HOME RECIPES 

AND HOUSEHOLD MEMORANDA. 

Many housekeepers desire some means of preserv- 
ing the recipes which are met with from time to time 
and found to be of value. The following pages are 
given to enable the users of this book to add to it scraps 
of useful information and tried and approved recipes, 
which otherwise might be lost or forgotten. 



HOUSEHOLD MEMORANDA. 435 



436 



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HOUSEHOLD MEMORANDA. 437 



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HOUSEHOLD MEMORANDA. 439 






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